Engineer- A Phineas and Ferb FanFiction
by Spiek
Summary: A street thug who was revealed to be working for Professor Bannister, an infamous criminal who had escaped prison, had been spotted in Latin America. OWCA, or the Organization Without a Cool Acronym, had dispatched two agents Lyla Lolliberry from the Canadian Division and Perry the Platypus, their best agent, to investigate.
1. Engineer- Prologue

The Sandman's coming in his train of cars

With Moonlit windows and wheels of Stars

So hush little ones and have no fear,

The man in the Moon, he is the Engineer…

It was a starry night, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The village almost seemed dead, like an eerie horror movie waiting to begin.

Then, loud wheels churned on the dark tracks. It was the village train carrying goods delivered and traded from the South. Entrepreneurs and slave dealers economically trade with the North to receive not only their own required gifts, but also to receive the latest technology. The North was known for their use of imagination and machinery, so every other continent wanted to trade with them.

Unfortunately, the officer forgot to check their cargo this morning. Two street thugs from the South had boarded the train and are finding their way to the north to finish an unsettled deal. The man who paid them had high requests and if the men didn't do their jobs right, they'll have their heads served on plates, well, metaphorically.

"Wait until ol' Banny get a look of this. It nearly cost my own arse." The thug looked down at the large sack they carried on their shoulders.

"Are you sure that's the one he wanted?" The short, fat thug asked, flossing his teeth with a stick.

"Of course it is. He was very clear on what it was. I reckon you weren't even paying attention!" The first thug slapped the fat thug on the back, teasing him.

"Ow, that hurt! Ah well, I reckon he'll like what he'll get. You know, I have to say he doesn't treat you nicely, Radcliffe." The fat thug laughed, his belly rolling up and down.

"No one does, Charlie." The thug pulled out a cigarette. As soon as he lit it, the train went under a tunnel, causing his match to illuminate the room.

"We're in a cargo car. There must be a lot of valuables in those boxes." Charlie turned his head to view stacked boxes.

"Forget it, the mission's top priority." The thug huffed, blowing on his cigarette.

"Oh come on, Radcliffe, what can happen? There's no one 'ere." Charlie was about to open a box when something jumped at him, muffling his cry of surprise and hidden him in the shadows of the dimly lit room.

"Who's there?!" Radcliffe pulled out a pistol, pointing it where Charlie originally was. However, after staring at the same place for far too long without any result, Radcliffe reverted his attention back to his comrade. The train had come out of the tunnel, and he tensed, watching as the moonlight illuminated the train car's interior.

"Charlie?" Radcliffe called out, but there was no answer. Where has that blasted brute gone to this time? Charlie was known to put Radcliffe into dangerous situations. One time, the fat man wandered off in Paris, France because he smelled croissants across the street. However, he didn't look at the traffic light, which was telling the side walkers to stop. Radcliffe had to put his own body in danger to push Charlie off the street before a car ran over him. No one was hurt, actually; only scrape wounds due to the pavement.

Radcliffe tensed. Charlie wouldn't play hide and seek in a moment like this. Someone must've incapacitated him. The man walked towards his sack and guarded it. He knew he wasn't alone.

Then something hit him in the head, alerting Radcliffe's senses. He knew the opponent tried to knock him out but Radcliffe was used to the old "knockout" trick. He grabbed the attacker and flipped them over.

"Who are you?!" Radcliffe pointed the gun at his opponent, but it was a dead Charlie, gaping at him with a bullet mark on his forehead. Charlie gasped and backed away, dropping the body. He tensed, trying to find whoever killed his comrade, but nothing else in the room seemed suspicious, at least, not to his knowledge.

Radcliffe turned to his spot, but he found out that the sack with the parts were missing. Panicking, Radcliffe searched the whole car for the parts but he couldn't find them anywhere. Frustrated, the thug pulled out his gun and shot every cargo box in the entire room. Nothing other than shattered glass and destroyed contents were heard.

"Bannister is going to kill me." Radcliffe shook his head, knowing his fate. Then, out of nowhere, a bullet whizzed past his ear, barely missing him by an inch. Pinpointing the exact location of where the bullet was shot, Radcliffe advanced towards the left corner of the front face of the car. A long, lean shadow was seen running away with a sack. Quickly, Radcliffe ran after the thief, his match lighting the way.

Lyla was from the Canadian Organization Without a Cool Acronym, or COWCA for short. She joined when she was 11, seeking justice and vigilance. She got what she wanted; however her skills were limited due to the policy of not killing her opponents. Lyla believed a person convicted of crime deserved a death penalty. They've had their chance at living for the greater good, but instead they abused that power. Now, they're on the hunt by the Police and other investigative classes of people.

The thug was right on her tail. Lyla threw open a car's door and ran for her life, attracting eyes of people dining in the bar. The agent knew she was in public territory, and she hoped to slow down the villain's chase, or at least, lose him in the crowd. Lyla jumped over a train intersection, finding herself in another room. This time, it was the passenger car. She had to find a way off the train, or hide until the next train stop. Both choices didn't really have good alternatives, but Lyla chose the first one.

"Hey conductor! Er, mister, when's the next stop, eh?" Lyla waved to a man with blue uniform that was in the corner.

" _Grosero_." The man muttered to himself.

"Hello?!" Lyla waved. The man shook his head, pitying her informal behavior.

The back doors were thrown open. A dark figure stomped by, covered in wine and injury marks. He didn't look happy.

"Give me back my sack, you thieving _puta_." The man pointed his long finger at the agent, the skin red and beaten. He must've not had a good time in the bar.

"Well this ain't of little value, Mister, and I know you work for Bannister. I'm off, eh!" Lyla pushed past the conductor, who uttered " _Grosero_!" in surprise.

The agent had to think quickly. If she led the man towards the conductor control room, the man would have access to the controls and Lyla would believe that the thug could potentially derail the train. If she climbed the ladder in front of her, she'd be subjected to immediate danger not only on top of the train, but having nowhere to go, she'd be killed off by the robber. Both solutions didn't have good outcomes.

Lyla hesitantly climbed up the ladder, praying that the train wasn't going to travel underneath tunnels. She stuck her head up on the roof and her body followed. However, as soon as she regained her footing, the thug was waiting for her, gun and knife armed and ready.

"Oh give me a break, eh?" Lyla rolled her eyes. She tried to run towards the ladder but lost her footing and face-planted on the roof. An artist was recreating a painting inside the car Lyla was on top of and when Lyla hit her face, the artist was so scared that he dropped paint all over his artwork.

" _Hijo de puta_!" The old man threw his hands in the air.

Lyla regained her footing and raised her fists. The man came at her with ferocious speed and Lyla tried to catch up. Their punches didn't meet their targets, but the thug had the upper hand. Lyla blocked his blows, trying to dodge the man's razor knife that was stabbing the air. Then the knife grazed Lyla's left arm, and she gasped in pain. The thug kicked her in the stomach and pointed his gun at her. Lyla regained her footing and resumed the fight, delivering more faster punches and kicks. She managed to disarm the man of his pistol, but the man's firm grip on the knife had her struggling. Lyla was growing tired, but she kept trying. The man only stalled, blocking and not trying to attack. Lyla lost her balance again and nearly did a full split to the capacity of her flexibility. As soon as she did that, however, she delivered a firm kick straight into the thug's jaw, throwing the man off balance as well.

"Gotcha, thief." She sneered, grinning that she had the upper hand.

Radcliffe fixed his jaw and stared at the lady who towered above him. She was good, for her age, and was well trained. She must've been part of the justice group Bannister was talking about. If she wasn't, well, Radcliffe would have to find out.

"You work for Bannister, eh?" The girl planted a gun in his forehead. Radcliffe tensed, then relaxed. She killed off Radcliffe's partner, after all, so she must've been either an enemy of Bannister, or a simple vigilante out for justice.

"You won't kill me. Justice doesn't demand for death, it must be sought with pure vigilance." Radcliffe sneered. The woman kept a firm grip on the trigger and a straight face, but she relaxed.

"You're right. Killing you wouldn't do anything. But I can stop you." The woman warned, picking up the sack.

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Radcliffe saw his opportunity and punched the woman in the face. Knocking her unconscious, Radcliffe stared at his knuckle. For once in his life he punched a girl. Radcliffe picked up his sack and pulled out a cell-phone.

"Bannister, pick up, ol' buddy. I've got your parts. Straight from Peru. I need a ride." Radcliffe stared at the unconscious agent. "Oh, and I got a girl."

The man sighed. Bannister never picks up. Shutting off his phone and clutching his sack against his chest, Radcliffe stared back at his decapitated agent, but she was gone.

"Guess I know how it feels when they disappear." Radcliffe sighed, and saw a hovering ship flying in the face of the white moon. It was Bannister.


	2. Engineer- Chapter 1: Knowledge is Power

**Chapter 1: Knowledge is Power**

Danville still had the musty heat from last summer. It didn't bother Perry the Platypus, who was sleeping on Phineas' bed. The triangle-headed kid was still sleeping on his covers, arms out. The heat wave from last week is over, and there's no need for a fan blowing in the room, but Perry liked it. It made him feel like he was flying, the usual feeling when he uses his hover car to fight crime.

Speaking of crime, his crime-fighting days had died down. Dr. Doofenshmirtz wasn't doing anything interesting for the past couple of weeks, and Perry found himself becoming bored with nothing to do. _Make the most out of every day_ , Phineas says, and Perry tries, well, in literal sense, try different walk styles around the house. Perry tried walking like a centipede yesterday, and his back hurt from crouching too long.

A hand retracted from Phineas' clock and tapped Perry on the head. He chattered.

Phineas' eyes opened slowly. "Good morning, Perry. Time for another best day of summer." Phineas would always say that to the platypus every morning, and Perry never found it repetitive, really. Phineas was a unique kid, and he always tried to say it in different tones too. Phineas decided to speak normal to the platypus today, which wasn't new.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out today, Ferb. We've got a long summer, _again_ , and we might as well use it like last time." Phineas said to his brother, who nodded his head. Ferb was a boy of few words, and always liked to express his feelings in actions rather than speech. Perry admired his spirit, and mimics him when he fights crime.

The boys carried Perry down the stairs and Perry decided to try a crab walk, snapping his thumb to his palm and bending his hind legs.

"Look at the way he walks. Isn't he adorable?" Mom commented.

"Ugh, he's even worse than yesterday. He tried to imitate a centipede." Candace stuck her tongue out at the platypus. _At least_ she's _noticed_ , thought Perry.

"Well, kids, finally glad school's over?" Linda asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Another summer means that we'll have thousands of things to do and make the most of every day." Phineas said.

"You said that yesterday already." Candace dipped her spoon into her plate.

"I was hoping you'd have spirit this summer, Candace. Ever since we got you that new iPhone, you've never stopped using it. You should take a look around the house more often." Linda said.

"And constantly find Perry's poop everywhere? Ew, no!" Candace spat out her cereal milk. Perry chattered in disgust. He doesn't poop everywhere! _It's the pigeons, girl. It's the pigeons_.

"Carpe diem, Candace." Phineas smiled.

"Carpe diem. What a wonderful term, er, what does it mean?" Linda asked.

"Carpe diem means 'Seize the Day' in Latin. The phrase originated from the early 19th century, specifically gamblers. A smarter fellow of this group said to his comrades 'Carpe Diem', and since the gambling men didn't have any idea what it meant and thought it was a way of encouraging them, in a way, the phrase was passed on from generation to generation, and somehow found its way into pop culture." Ferb explained and bit his tongue after finishing his statement. "Ow."

"Seize the day, Mom." Phineas simplified for Linda. Ferb glared at him.

"I hope we've got plans. Lawrence? Where are we heading this summer?" Linda asked.

"Oh yes, it's summer, after all. The joys of planning vacations and such… er, what do you have in mind, Linda?" Lawrence asked.

"I was hoping for your opinion." Linda offered.

"Oh, well…" Lawrence began, but couldn't think of any locations at the moment.

"The beach." Phineas offered.

"That's a lovely idea, son."

"The Lake Nose." Ferb offered.

"How about the grand hotel? It's truly grand, as they say it!" Linda offered.

"It's also a hotel. Any other suggestions?" Lawrence asked.

"I wonder if Perry's got a suggestion." Phineas wondered.

"Oh great, now you're going to ask 'Where's Perry?' SOOO cliché." Candace looked up from her iPhone which had an open webpage of fanfiction, which was about, well, it says "NSFW Warning".

"I was going to ask where my spoon went, but where IS Perry?" Phineas looked under the table for his spoon.

Perry had left, not only because his family's conversation was extremely boring, but also he's received a notification from Major Monogram. Pushing aside an extremely long dresser with a Star Destroyer on top (the boys are Star Wars fans, apparently), Perry found a vacuum hole that leads to his lair. Excited to finally be doing something for once, Perry forgot what he was doing and stared deep into the hole. His hat flew into the vacuum, and Perry tried to catch it, flying into the vacuum after it and whacking the dresser in the process, and landing in his lair, with a Star Destroyer falling on top of him. _The Empire really did strike back_. Finding his fedora and placing it on top of his head, Perry stood and brushed off the dust that had compiled onto his body, attempting to once again act professional. Taking a seat in front of a wide view screen, Perry saw Major Monogram's face show up on the view.

"Carl! What did I tell you about the vacuum transportation system?!" Monogram yelled at his intern.

"Uh, that I should leave them alone?" Carl asked.

"You shouldn't vacuum on Mondays! That's an insult to OWCA tradition." Monogram shook his head. Perry raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean you've never heard of the 'Vacuuming on Sundays' tradition? It has been passed from major to major, always having the intern vacuum on Sundays. There hasn't been another day of vacuuming, until now on this Monday." Monogram gave Carl a dirty look then returned his attention to the secret agent.

"Back to why I called you here, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is, well, nothing's going on too much with him. But that's not the point. We've received transmission from the Canadian Organization: COWCA, that Lyla Lolliberry has been unable to stop a thug from stealing a sack of valuable metal parts between the South and North American border. Agent Lyla reports the man is working for Professor Bannister, an adversary you're familiar with, right?" Monogram showed a picture of Professor Bannister, and Perry nodded. Bannister had wanted to sabotage Canada's mascot, Albert the Moose and replace him with Greenland's pride, transforming Canada into Greenland. Perry knew the plan wouldn't be successful, even if his plan does succeed, it'll lead to many times more trouble than what he planned for, and much more trouble than it's worth simply for "national pride".

"We need you to investigate the crime scene, so in order to do that, you're going to South America, or I should say just over the border. Keep track of your ID and signature, 'kay?" Monogram warned.

"Bring us a souvenir!" Carl said off screen.

"Carl! How many times have I told you to stop interrupting my briefing?! Anyway, good luck, Agent P." Monogram acknowledged. Perry turned around to see his hover car in the distance. Running to it and jumping in, he started up the engines. Perry rose the vehicle into the sky and set his course for "Just over the Border".

* * *

"Here are the parts you wanted, Banny. Straight from a rich Entrepreneur that couldn't keep his mouth shut." Radcliffe dumped the sack on the floor. He was tired of holding it, anyway.

Professor C. O. Bannister stared at the sack. A reflection from the lighting gave the professor enough conviction that it was the metal he wanted.

"I'll have it modified to good use." Bannister waved a hand signal and two droids walked towards him and picked up the box he was just inspecting earlier. Radcliffe watched them leave, and Bannister began to leave.

"Excuse me? Where's my money?" Radcliffe demanded, raising a finger at his boss. Bannister ignored him. "I don't work for free, you know. We agreed to this. You said-"

"All you people care about is money. It's a low-life mindset most common in men like you. I pity where your future lies." A group of androids were heading Bannister and Radcliffe's way and they stopped in place at a safe distance away from the quarreling men.

"You'd pay me a grand if I got you them parts. Here I am now, where's me prize? I ain't that long. Can't keep your client in the dark. It ain't all tricks and games, now, is it?" Radcliffe reached into his pocket. A robot arm clamped to his bicep.

"A hazardous object is detected." The android said. Radcliffe gasped and shook the metal arm off, but it wouldn't let go.

"Try to bring yourself to forget your old habits. My mother told me to not let bad habits exist for more than what they're worth. The failure in realizing your own mistakes will lead to your downfall." Bannister ordered the android to haul him away, and have him executed.

"I will have me money, you son of a bitch! I'll make sure your dead body's worth a million!" Radcliffe yelled curses while the android hauled him away. He screamed to be let free, and yelled more insults in Bannister's direction, but his comments eventually met an inevitable end as his loud voice was silenced abruptly. Bannister heard the sound of bones cracking, music to his ears.

"My mother was a sweet woman. However, she didn't support much of my success. I can see why I could be considered a son of a bitch." Bannister turned to find a robotically engineered skeleton holding a report.

"Subject 12 had been reluctant to treatment. Doses of antihistamines are the only method of calming him down." The skeleton reported.

"Make sure he behaves. He said that he's willing to fight for me, so make sure you give him the proper dose of medication and everything that he needs." Bannister ordered.

"Yes, sir." The skeleton walked away. Bannister had recruited a rogue agent from the OWCA. He was notoriously known and had a strong hatred for the agency. Out of luck, Bannister had found the agent at his weakest and taken him to treatment. The agent had wanted to be powerful, and Bannister gave him just that, with his own artistically and brilliantly designed skills. The parts Radcliffe gave him were meant to finish the job.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" An android turned to him.

"I don't recall programming an android with a personality." Bannister turned to the android.

"I didn't think so either. So much has changed from your last scheme. You've gotten more technical." The android complimented.

"The pleasure's all mine. I've learned more than what I've bargained for. I suggest you do the same among your comrades."

"They don't like my kind, well, not that I have anyone else like me. They bully me and try to stick my head in the rabbit's mouth. You see these dents?" The android tilted its head towards the professor and Bannister saw that it was prodded with deep teeth marks depicting of a truly terrifying experience.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Bannister asked.

"I want you to reprogram me, make myself become like the others. That is my only wish." The android pleaded.

"Isn't to be different a good thing?" Bannister asked.

"From my point of view, I don't see it that way."

"This will become a permanent lifestyle." Bannister warned, feeling sorry for the android.

"I will make the most out of it." The android buffed his chest, showing that he wasn't afraid. Bannister admired his spirit; the robot would be a great leader if only he accepted the factor that he was different.

"I'll have the professionals look at you." Bannister notified a group of skeletons in the corner, waving a hand.

"Thank you, Professor Bannister." The android held out his hand. Bannister found it awkward to be shaking hands with an iron hand; but the robot won't remember it anyway, if that's what he wanted.

The professor watched the android go, and turned back towards his view from his wide-view window. The evening sun was beginning to set, and it was quite a beautiful sight. Bannister stared at the horizon, now alone. What could possibly be ahead in his future? Watching the sun go down, he began to think of the hardships he had taken in the process of keeping the organization in good hands. Certain difficulties and revolts had happened from time to time, but he had always managed to turn things around, and currently, he was going in the right direction.

What was out there for him? Possibly, maybe he could begin to understand the new birth of technology and use that knowledge to his advantage. After all, it was a common belief that those with knowledge know what's right and wrong. Bannister saw his actions for the greater good, and his thoughts never deviated. Perhaps knowledge would lead the way.

After all, knowledge is power.


	3. Engineer- Chapter 2: Latin America

**Chapter 2: Latin America, Home of the Locos**

Lyla paced back and forth. Today was the day that her partner in crime (well not really, it's just a figure of speech) would arrive. It has been a year since the Canadian saw Perry the Platypus from the last mission. She wondered how the animal was doing.

A small hovercraft came into view, and Lyla watched it land in COWCA HQ. A platypus with a brown fedora met her gaze for a moment before paying attention to land his vehicle properly. The engine went dead and Perry jumped out of the car.

"Sweet ride." Lyla commented on the hover car's features. The car's paint job was white with a teal stripe in the middle. A design with the word 'P' was imprinted on the front, which slightly, but not perfectly, resembled Perry's red imprint that was painted on his skin on his left arm.

"I see that you've got a tattoo. Didn't think it was in your character, but here you are, eh?" Lyla commented, and Perry shrugged. They have been going along different paths, after all.

"We're off to South America- Home of the _Locos_." Lyla headed towards the exit. Perry followed, checking his hat to see if his immigration ID was still there. Thankfully, it was.

"Lyla Lolliberry. A businesswoman from Canada." Lyla showed the inspector her ID.

"What about your pet, darling? What is to become of him?" The inspector asked, his Spanish accent rolled his 'R's'.

"He's my pet and I'm taking him for my vacation, eh?" Lyla pulled Perry close.

"Why is he standing on his hind legs? Why is he wearing a hat?"

"It's a vacation necessity. I just so happened to dress him up for the occasion, eh?" Lyla casually answered, checking her surroundings to make sure no one was watching her in particular. She turned to stare at Perry, who was also looking back at her. _Animals and humans think alike_ , she thought.

"You are clear, Miss Lolliberry." The inspector at the gate nodded. Lyla slipped back her ID card into her pocket and she and Perry headed for the gate, which read: WELCOME TO SOUTH AMERICA!

Walking outside, Lyla squinted in the direction of a distant village. She spotted it far ahead, above the rolling hills that separated it from the border. It was an approximate 50-mile walk from where she and Perry were standing. It would take approximately 2 hours for them to arrive at the village.

"Well, we better start heading for settlement. I'm sure the people there will find us nice company, and also a room." Lyla spoke to no one in particular, and headed off in the direction of the village. Perry followed, but tensed as he sensed something through his electrolocation. However, he was unable to detect what it was as he continued to look around. Assuming it was nothing, Perry followed Lyla expectantly.

Somewhere in the distance, a probe droid focused its retina on them, and relayed a signal.

"Let's hurry. The afternoon sun's running a bit low, don't you think, Perry… er, Perry?" Lyla turned around to find her comrade but couldn't find him. "Argh, what had that nasty semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action done this time?!"

Perry chattered to Lyla, who eventually saw what he was doing; yet she wasn't all happy to see it play out.

"What are you doing, eh?" Lyla commented on Perry's foot placement; his right foot was barely touching the top layer of a fence while his left leg was too low for him to brace himself. The platypus tried to pull himself forward but found him slipping off the fence and back where he started. Rubbing his forehead, he tried climbing the fence again, this time making it over the fence. Perry was so happy that did a little dance out of guilty pleasure, not knowing the fact that a certain someone had given him a hand.

"Your welcome." Lyla smirked, making her way over the fence. Perry's smile faded and a sense of mistreatment made his expression clear.

"Come on, you needed it." Lyla nudged the platypus, trying to make him feel better. The platypus crossed his arms and didn't return that nudge.

* * *

"Subject 12 is responding, not in the best way, but he's breathing." The skeleton reported to Bannister, who nodded him off. The professor had another errand to run and had no time to babysit the rogue agent at the moment.

"Hallo Professor." Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz greeted Bannister in the testing room. There was a big, angular machine with a long protruding arm behind the doctor.

"What is that?" Bannister asked.

"It's my metal-maker-inator! I can use it to create any kind of metal in the Periodic Table! Look! Titanium, Platinum, Iron, Gold, all with a touch of a button!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz pressed the button 4 times, revealing the metals he selected. Bannister was ready to be unimpressed, pull his hair, and fire the doctor, but all those thoughts were pushed aside when he picked up the metal, which was artificial.

"It's real." Bannister ran his hands over the block he was given, feeling the smooth texture of the metal and its usability in his future projects. "I'm impressed, doctor. Not what I paid you here for, though, but it is useful to not rely on any more street thugs." Bannister softened his expression.

"Does that mean I get a raise?" Dr. Doofenshmirtz asked, striking a grin.

"No." Bannister set the metal piece down. "Recognition."

"Recognition?! That's it? Don't you know how long I've spent on that machine? I even had to borrow from your patient's armory-"

"You WHAT?!" Bannister grabbed the doctor's collar.

"It was just spare parts. I can't build this stuff on my own; engineers need puzzle pieces to create a puzzle. In this case scenario, I needed your surplus for my project." Dr. Doofenshmirtz held his hands up defensively.

"You would _dare_ use my experiment's machinery without my permission?! I have a deadline on Subject 12, and if you try and interfere, he'll be dead before I finish him!" Bannister reached Dr. Doofenshmirtz's neck and squeezed it threateningly.

"Gah! Okay fine, _sorry_. I'll ask permission next time." Dr. Doofenshmirtz tried to pry Bannister's arm on his neck, gasping for air.

"Don't disappoint me again, Heinz. We've made an agreement, an agreement not easily broken nor _disobeyed_." Bannister hissed, dropping his grip on the doctor's neck and stomped out of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's laboratory, leaving the double doors open.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz stared at his inator. At least Bannister approved of it and didn't dismantle it straight away. It wasn't his fault that he had to use prohibited machinery. The skeletons warned him about it, and even without a flesh brain, they still knew better than he did. _What am I doing_ , thought Heinz. Spare parts and failed machines surrounded him, glistening reflected light. Dr. Doofenshmirtz knew his inventions better than anyone. Once he set his mind to it, he never stops. Most of the time, the ideas come up as pathetic, but at rare occasions like today, he came up with something his master liked. Bannister is only _temporary_ , anyway. Once Dr. Doofenshmirtz got his money, he could overpower the professor and rule the Tri-State-Area of Danville, which was his lifelong dream. Dr. Doofenshmirtz picked up a wrench and went to work again, thinking of a way to make himself feel better.

* * *

"Well, they weren't kidding when they said that a village existed here." Lyla said. The village she had seen earlier was beginning to grow larger in size, as the two agents walked closer. Perry agreed; he was dying to find shelter. He needed a break, probably due to his lack of action that he was easily broken down. He needed a bed; hell, even a bed made of rocks was good enough for him.

Finally, they arrived at the starting point of the village. A large arch welcomed the two agents inside of the busy streets, allowing them to pass with a warm welcome. Lyla witnessed the behaviors of the citizens; mostly women and children were outside either buying from rich entrepreneurs or it was kids playing outside and kicking dust everywhere. One group of kids managed to spray a large amount of dust all over Perry, who growled in disgust and shook it all off.

Lyla heard someone yell something in Spanish, and she turned to see a young middle-aged woman scolding her children. The children murmured apologies to Perry and Lyla in Spanish and walked away, returning to their casual playtime. The woman walked up to them and after taking a glance at Perry with the corners of her eyes, she held out a broomstick that she held in her hands and began swatting him with it. The platypus growled and coughed from the lady's treatment, and once she finished swatting him with the broom, he stopped squirming and gave the lady a dirty look.

"Excuse me, miss, do you know the quickest route where we can find shelter, eh?" Lyla asked, ignoring the woman's actions earlier.

"I've got no time for directions, _señorita_. If I were you, I'd ask Lady Flor en Flor. That's why she lives in this pile of dust anyway." The woman answered, and stared at Perry again. She had the intention of sweeping him again just for good measure. Perry stared at her and shuddered, hiding behind Lyla.

"You sure you don't know the way? After all, you are a settler in this village." Lyla questioned, wondering why this woman didn't choose to help them out.

"It's my lot in life. I haven't been the best of directions. Possibly a flaw, most likely caused by the will of God. I'm sorry, _señorita_ , but there's nothing I can do." The woman moved on, sweeping as she went.

"Queer, eh?" Lyla said to Perry. The platypus, who was quite relieved that he wasn't going to be swept in the face again, nodded.

The duo kept asking people for available shelter and refuge, but everyone told them to see Lady Flor en Flor. They never said why, as they continued to do what they pleased. Perry began to wonder how people live together if they never seem to be friendly or even acknowledge anyone else around them.

His stomach growled. He wanted an apple of some sort. He didn't want anything other than a red or green fruit with seeds that had a crunchy texture. Not only did he want an apple, he wanted an apple _tree_ , a tree that would sprout by the touch of his finger and a lick of his spit. Licking his finger, Perry placed it in the dusty wind, measuring where the wind was blowing. It was blowing in the right direction.

Suddenly, he began to think critically, pinpointing a location where he would dip his damp finger. For some reason, his thought process was taking a complete toll over his sanity and he began to do the unquestionable, questioning whether or not growing an apple tree from his one damp finger would be possible. Perry moved along the village, trying to find a good place to grow the tree.

"Perry, what in the world are you doing?" Lyla asked, following her partner's footsteps and directions. The two walked in the village for quite a long time, and Perry was quite specific in his directions. If there was a dead end, Perry would try and go around it, which often involved him walking over fences, jumping from trash can to trash can, or even trying to walk on roofs. Lyla often had to change his trajectory at times, to the point where she began to think that Perry was growing insane.

The two walked inside of the village some more, and finally, Perry found a place- in the center of dry dirt in the middle of the village. Perry drew a circle, then a dot in the middle. It was a target. He didn't really know why he was doing this; he just found the fun in it. He kept tracing over the circle he made and poking the dot in the middle.

"P, you're beginning to scare me a bit, eh." Lyla tried to interrupt Perry's doings, but he wouldn't stop. Like Candace being obsessed over her iPhone, Perry was obsessed with tracing this target symbol he made with his spit in the dirt.

Then, the ground began to shake. Reflexes told Perry that it was an earthquake. However, it didn't matter to him. He wanted to trace that circle.

"P! We have to _move_!" Lyla called to the platypus, but he ignored her. _That egg-laying mammal has gone mad_. Lyla ran for cover, hiding underneath a basket of apples. However, she accidentally knocked them over and the apples rolled towards Perry.

Perry saw the apples coming before Lyla ducked for cover. The apples began to roll towards him. However, to Lyla's dismay, she saw the apples begin to dissolve instantly on their own accord; aging and deteriorating their full cores that seeped into the soil Perry had planted his finger in. The platypus had the urge to pick one of the apples up, no matter rotten or not, but his mind told him to leave them be. Then, a sprout began to bloom where Perry's target was placed. The agent stared at it for a while before the sprout grew bigger.

Much _bigger_.

"What the hell…?" Lyla watched the scene from afar. She couldn't believe a plant was blooming without water… in the place where Perry's damp finger dipped into the soil…

The plant grew into a huge golden tree that extended throughout the entire center of the village, causing Perry to step back. He saw the seeds that rotted from the ground reappear, this time, growing into real apples, blood red like the color of his eyes. A branch grew towards Perry's hands, and one apple grew from that branch. Perry was in a state of shock. It seemed too good to be true, yet the apple was too tasty to resist. He grabbed it from the branch and started to scarf it down. He even ate the apple core and seeds!

The earthquake stopped. People slowly inched away from their houses, witnessing the grand event that happened before them. Perry ignored his surroundings and continued to eat more apples. Little kids his size started to crawl towards the tree. The golden tree's branches with apples reached towards them, offering apples. The kids began to mimic Perry, munching on every apple they find. The tree never ran out of apples to serve. Slowly, the adults, including Lyla, crept out from their hiding places.

Lyla was shaken to the bone. There was no way this apple tree was there… Was it? Was this all just some hallucination? How was it possible that a single platypus could grow a tree instantly from his own saliva?

"Things happen on their own accord." An old lady placed a hand on her side. Lyla noticed her and immediately knew she was a woman of wisdom and had the age to back it up. The old woman wore a white dress and a dusty brown cape and hood. Her hair was a silk gray and her eyes were a gentle bright blue. Her name immediately popped up in Lyla's mind as the woman wore a friendly smile.

"Lady Flor en Flor." Lyla gasped. A few people who were next to them reverted their attention, but most of the adults were busy scarfing down the apples, Perry still included.

"Who is this platypus?" Lady Flor en Flor wondered aloud.

"He's a friend of mine. He… He made t-that..." Lyla stuttered, pointing at the tree that had suddenly supernaturally grown from Perry's saliva.

"He's the creature in the children's dreams. _A creature of teal, grew a tree of apples that peal. Saved the village, saved us from the battle that never heals._ He's our savior, _Señorita_."

Lyla stared at the tree. Now she had the urge to try an apple. _It's not real_ , thought her mind. However, her stomach told her otherwise. The next thing Lyla knew, she was feasting on the apple tree.

" _A teal creature grew an apple tree with the apple that peals. Saved the village, saved us from the battle that never heals_." One child chanted in Spanish. Slowly, a few children chimed in, then teenagers, then adults, and then finally, the elders. Lyla and Perry stared at each other.

"Queer, Perry. Quite queer." Lyla said, leaning against the tree to watch her partner enjoy himself. Perry grabbed another apple, and handed it to Lyla. Lyla refused, but Perry insisted. Finally, the lady gave in, and she took the apple from him.

The village was truly full of locos.

Meanwhile, in Danville…

"Hey, where's Perry?" Phineas asked, watching his brother Ferb create the daily invention they planned for this day. Phineas still wanted to continue the tradition of building things, and having them disappear, and he guessed, Perry disappearing. _I guess Perry wanted to keep his tradition as well_ , thought the triangle-headed kid. Returning to what he was doing earlier, he wished his pet would return home soon.


	4. Engineer- Chapter 3: The Village Legend

**Chapter 3: The Village Legend**

"The sandman's coming in his train of cars. With moonlit windows and wheels of stars. So hush little ones, and have no fear, the man in the moon, he is the engineer." A child outside of Lady Flor en Flor's tent sung a nursery rhyme in Spanish. The full moon rose in the sky like it always did, taking the place of the bright sun that blossomed ever since the golden tree emerged from the ground.

"How could a gigantic, and _golden_ tree at that, grow from your saliva? How was all of that possible, eh?" Lyla munched on an apple, staring at the small platypus next to her. Perry gazed up at her, trying not to fall asleep due to his digesting stomach.

"That is a good question." Lady Flor en Flor petted a child's head, and fed them one of the apples that grew from Perry's tree. "Your platypus is a gifted one."

"Could you elaborate, eh?" Lyla raised an eyebrow at the old woman and Perry snuggled close to her, asleep.

"You must not be from here, then. A lot of things happen here in our village that we can't quite explain. But you must let not your mind guide what you see, instead you should _feel_ the moment. It makes for a better experience." Lady Flor en Flor smiled gently.

"Tell them the story, Grandma!"

"Yeah, tell them about the ol' hermit!"

"Calm down, young tykes. Speak when spoken to." The old woman stared at the lamp Lyla brought out from her supply. "Why does the fire burn within glass?"

"Because it's insulated. The gas is kept inside of the space within so when the fire burns out, it doesn't get everywhere." Lyla answered, pointing at the lamp.

"The fire has boundaries, and it can't always reach outside of them. True people with true potential tend to go beyond the walls of common sense."

"The hermit in the west was like that." Said a child. Lady Flor en Flor chuckled.

"He was?" Lyla asked.

"According to the tale, a-"

"Let me tell the tale, Johnny!"

"No, me! I can make it entertaining!"

"Quiet!" Lady Flor en Flor silenced the children. Turning to Lyla and Perry, who was already asleep, she ruffled her thin white dress. The children crowded around the fire, eager to hear what she has to say next. Lyla tucked an arm around Perry's sleeping form and nodded to the old lady in acknowledgment.

"I shall tell the tale myself." Lady Flor en Flor began.

* * *

Bannister opened the door to Subject 12. The rabbit was restless, as always. His generic eye color was blood-shot instead of the baby blue, and his body was in pieces. Large syringes of antihistamines protruded out of his body, a vain attempt in calming the savage beast. The metal arms that were installed into his body were protruding out of his severed arms and limbs as a measure of cybernetic engineering. The rabbit had on a large mask that covered the majority of his face, and a staple-remover mouthpiece protruded two very sharp teeth.

The professor pulled the syringes from their place. The doses of antihistamines were empty, and the syringe cases were shattered. Blood circles remained where the needle was once placed, some even bled. Bannister needed the patient awake in order to communicate with him.

He gazed upon the scene in front of him. It was something straight out of a horror movie; blood decorated the walls in ominous markings depicting several instances of pain and torture, and sometimes, the reoccurring P-symbol Bannister sometimes found on Subject 12's blood art pieces. Bannister had analyzed several of the cyborg's behaviors, but the symbol could not be explained because it was something he could not understand. Even his analyzers and therapy treatment droids could not determine a plausible reason for why they were painted on the wall. The symbol was a stone unturned, but with nothing underneath.

Dennis the Rabbit sprung from his calm state and with savage reflexes, he shrieked in his mechanical vocal chords that could not, fortunately, conjure words. He lashed his hideous protruding arms at Bannister, attempting to strangle him, but the restraints in his long iron arms prevented him otherwise.

"I suggest that you're satisfied with your care." Bannister greeted him. Dennis growled and coughed blood out of his mouth. _This was Bannister's idea of "powerful",_ thought the rabbit.

"I understand the circumstances you've been put through. I pity you, but I assure you, you will become the death of Perry the Platypus. He doesn't stand a chance. You will see the day of OWCA's demise, and later, the world. You will be by my side, and I will honor your place." Bannister spoke in a calm voice. Dennis took pride upon that remark, smirking behind his breather mask. _Oh, he has no idea_ …

"My probe droids from the _Loco_ Village reports that they have seen the agents. You will find Perry the Platypus in the old village. He is not alone, but that isn't the issue. Kill him, and wipe out the village. Then, we will destroy OWCA." Bannister ordered. Dennis, the obedient rabbit he was, who only deployed this act as a ruse, nodded his head. But how will the rabbit get used to his new body and limbs? What was he to gain from slaughtering the village? _Bannister must have some connection to that village_ , thought the rabbit. Dennis planted this thought behind his head, and contemplated the creativity in Bannister's downfall. Bannister's time was running out, and Dennis was going to become the new leader of Bannister Evil Enterprises. He took small satisfaction in this thought as he bowed down to his master.

 _I will do as you command._

"Very good, my apprentice." Bannister petted the rabbit's head, a sign of respect between their partnership.

* * *

"He goes by the name C. O. Bannister. He never really liked other names, and couldn't decide between the two." Lady Flor en Flor began.

"Bannister?" Lyla called out, interrupting Lady Flor en Flor's story. "He's my-"

"The enemy you seek. But behind the scenes, there is a tale to tell. Bannister is not a one to mistrust."

"He's a scoundrel and a thief. Nothing more." Lyla crossed her arms.

"That's what you see. But remember, your eyes deceive you. Look beyond what you can see, and you might just understand."

Perry snorted. He was interested in what the old lady had to say. It was a better alternative to sleeping.

"Bannister was a man of his word. He would always bring the village something good from the trade. Everyone loved him."

"He's a great guy!"

"Yeah, really!"

"And he was a good friend." Lady Flor en Flor grinned slightly and crossed her arms. "But one day he changed. He grew tired of watching the village be left in the dust. He wanted something more in life. He wanted something different than all of us."

"Isn't different a good thing?" Lyla asked.

"Change is good, but not always for the best. Bannister left the village, looking for a job. He came across a sales market; people from the north trading shiny solids for fresh fruit like the apple tree." The old woman nodded at Perry, who was beginning to awaken, interested in the old woman's story.

"He brought home the shiny solids. Called them gold, iron, platinum… All from this 'periodic table', he says. But the elders thought otherwise."

"That's the bad part!"

"Shut up!" The old woman silenced the child who spoke.

"Sorry." The child apologized.

"Bannister's discovery had alienated our village, thought the elders. Indeed the village had gone different after his arrival. People were constantly interested in the North and South trade and many had left and never returned to their families."

"Meeting a person from the border isn't always the safest thing to do, eh?" Lyla said to Perry, who nodded in reply. Lady Flor en Flor stared at her for a moment, then continued.

"The elders had ordered the village to ignore his influence. An outcast, he became. Bannister's friends have gone distant and harder to reach."

"So sad!"

"So bad!"

"Damn those old hags!"

"Don't say those things. It's not very nice!"

"Cold as ice, you are! Have sympathy for them who shun!"

"SILENCE!" Lady Flor en Flor slammed a stick on the ground, nearly hitting the child sitting next to her. Everyone grew quiet.

" _Lo siento_ , child." Lady Flor en Flor patted the child's head. The child next to her whimpered quietly.

"Continue." Lyla beckoned, her voice shaky as if she was afraid that she might be yelled at too.

"Bannister noticed the change of events. He blamed the elders. The village started to like him less. Then he left, one day and didn't return. The people started to wonder where he went. Killed off by a rabbit was a common belief, but surely there were people with common sense. 2 years had gone, and he hadn't returned. The village returned to their tradition.

But then after those 2 years, he came back. He became a different man. He was no longer the oddball of the village, nor the child that had a dream to create something fantastic. Instead, there was vengeance. He became a madman, the man of our destruction. Bannister hated people who were different from him; he killed whoever spoke differently. The elders realized Bannister's assault, and banished him to the north. Bannister was broken and confused, no longer seeing the life-long dream he had, and had only one thing on his mind- to make the world his, and to make the people follow him." Lady Flor en Flor stopped. A dark thought passed through her mind, and Lyla noticed. The circle around the fire grew quiet.

"How do you know so much about Bannister, eh?" Lyla asked, breaking the silence that was started.

"Many people spoke of him. Many people remembered him, telling their experience to us. I just put their stories into one."

"Lady Flor en Flor, you spoke of the elders in a mutual respect. You must know more about them than what you tell us." Lyla thought about Lady Flor en Flor's expression whenever she mentioned the 'elders' or silenced the children that spoke sourly of them. There must be some connection between her and the elders, if her behavior justifies.

Lady Flor en Flor said nothing. The lamp fire started to grow weak. Perry's eyes began to close. The children murmured upon each other. Finally, the old woman spoke.

"My name, 'Flor en Flor', means 'Flower in Bloom'. The flower blooms when the sunlight is upon it, and I sense there's no fooling you." Lady Flor en Flor stared at Lyla.

"I was the daughter of the lead elder. I believed what the child believed. I disliked what he disliked. I never saw any flaws in his ways. Then the event of his banishment came forth and my faith in him had faltered. I liked Bannister. He was a great spirit. Although I pitied the way he used it. He was naïve, and too overconfident. He had gone the path I had feared, and would solely regret to see carry out. Bannister took upon a new nationality and a new company, removing any ties he had with his original family." Lady Flor en Flor admitted.

Perry chattered, bringing everyone's attention. With a stick, the platypus drew a rectangle with a circle on the left interior. Lines divided the rectangle and the circle.

"The Greenland flag, eh…" Lyla suddenly remembered what Bannister had said to them from their last mission.

" _Do I? You think that just because I'm polite, smell like pine needles, and overemphasize me T's, I'm Canadian? Well, you'd be wrong! Because I'm from Greenland_!"

"A common belief Bannister wanted others to believe, but it's not true. Bannister only promotes Greenland because of its lack of self-reliance. People there are easy to control, because there aren't a lot of them. Bannister makes sure his dictatorship hoards their sorry souls and believed that people cannot be independent; they will always need someone to dictate their decisions for them. It's like a flower cannot bloom without the assistance of water and soil."

"And he sounded so convincing. He even owned a Greenland flag." Lyla sighed, staring at Perry's drawing.

"You must find him. Your quest is set. Didn't this 'OWCA' tell you to find Bannister and bring him to justice? Isn't that why you're called 'agents'?" Lady Flor en Flor asked.

"How do you know that?" Lyla asked, perplexed over the lady's knowledge.

"Where you came from shows from your point of view." Lady Flor en Flor answered. The little children started to laugh.

"I guess you have to be a little more observant, because that's not exactly what we came here for." Lyla said.

"What's the point? Lady's belief is justified!" A little boy sneered.

"I was told that we needed to go to South America, a.k.a. just over the border." Lyla answered.

"…Which means you're here to find Bannister." Lady Flor en Flor finished.

Perry stared at her. How could a lady so old and of a primitive lifestyle know exactly who they were after, and know this person as well? Perhaps it was the strange nature of the Loco Village.

"I wasn't told." Lyla noticed Perry's realization.

"The train comes in the morning. Be ready on your feet. Find Bannister, and you might just find what you were looking for after all." Lady Flor en Flor said.

"I guess that's why we're here then." Lyla turned to her partner, "More justice to deliver, eh?"

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the village, two probe droids came up to a hulking creature in the trees, reporting its data it had stored earlier. Dennis the Rogue Agent nodded and one of the probe droids extracted an identity chip. The rabbit took the chip and scanned it with his mechanical eye. Nodding his head, he snapped it in two and ordered the probe droids to keep spying on the village. The droids acknowledged his order and floated back to the village.

Through his view, Dennis observed the behaviors of the people. There were no signs of the OWCA agents Bannister had told him about. However, the rogue agent knew they were there. If the agents tried to make themselves shelter, it would be here. Making himself at home in the tree top, Dennis awaited his chance to pounce, contemplating on the many ways of digging his staple remover-like jaws into his nemesis' flesh. He would enjoy it, and would see Perry the Platypus die before his eyes. It was either the platypus' death or Dennis' downfall.


	5. Engineer- Chapter 4: The Rogue Agent

**Chapter 4: The Rogue Agent Strikes Back**

"You seem troubled, Professor Bannister." Me-Positive called out to Bannister outside of his office.

"The door is open." Bannister called, allowing the android to step inside.

"You expect Dennis to succeed in his plan?" Me-Positive unlocked the door using one of its retracting tools on its metal fingers, holding a tray of tea.

"I just hope my hard work has paid off." Bannister poured the tea on his little cup, accidentally burning his thumb. "Ow!"

"You can't always trust an animal. How is your interest in these OWCA agents so important to the development of the company?" Me-Positive asked simply curious as Bannister had programmed it to question and guide him when he appears at his weakest. That was probably why the machine was designed so similarly to Bannister's features.

"What flavor is this, lemon?" Bannister stared at the liquid.

"It's green tea."

"Oh. How nice." Bannister ignored the robot's question.

"Hey Bannister! I need your help on somethin'!" A transmission burst loudly from a desk mic, which Bannister recognized as Dr. Doofenshmirtz's voice.

"Should I schedule an appointment between you and him?" The robot asked.

"No. _I'll_ be the one who decides whether or not he's worthy of an appointment." Bannister got up from his chair and headed towards the door. "Stay in here until I come back. Some _folks_ here are quite curious about my stuff up in my office, and I don't want them snooping around."

And with that, Bannister shut the door, locking Me-Positive inside.

"This ain't one of my regular inators, but it's what it looks like." Dr. Doofenshmirtz pointed to the mechanism behind him. Professor Bannister half-expected to be impressed, but he wasn't. The mechanism barely looked any different from Subject 12 and served no purpose in the tide of events.

"What is that?" Bannister asked.

"It's a bipedal assault walker. I call it the 'duo-pod'. Don't really have any other names for it, but that name quite suits it." Dr. Doofenshmirtz rubbed the back of his neck. His hands were dirty from the hard work he accomplished, and he needed a break terribly.

"What purposes do you think it will serve for me?"

"Well, I designed it so you could get around. The base is huge, and a good vehicle would be a great way of not walking or simply just for the fun of it." Dr. Doofenshmirtz pointed at the long jointed hand that had four fingers with holsters for the arms.

"A way to slack off the exercise of walking." Bannister didn't want to hear any more purposes and interesting details about the machine. While the professor found the machine's design to be clever and somewhat useful, it reminded him too much of what he could've made himself, and he did not want to present himself to the workers of the base in an invention his unpaid _intern_ had made.

"Hey! Wait a minute! That's all you're gonna say?! I worked hard on that!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz ran after his boss, who was already 10 feet ahead of his pace.

"I want my pay, Professor! I can't always be your stinking unpaid intern forever!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz called out, but by the time he caught up to Bannister his office doors slammed in his face.

Silence. Slamming a fist against the door, Dr. Doofenshmirtz leaned against the closed double doors of his office. He had been rejected. What does Bannister want him to do, anyway? Ever since signing up for Bannister's offer, Dr. Doofenshmirtz had been kept in the dark upon the professor's intentions. He never quite knew what Bannister was up to, and had often begun to think about overthrowing him. He would make a better replacement anyway. Bannister was too full of himself to even suspect the ever-present thought of mutiny.

Turning back towards one of his office windows, the scientist stared at the bloody door of Subject 12. He could create something like Dennis. He did, in a way, but Bannister hadn't seen through his skills and what he could create. Perhaps he should show him, one day.

"Maybe it's time I abandon all hope for the professor." Dr. Doofenshmirtz stared at his bipedal machine, and began to think. Images of mutiny and Professor Bannister's severed head on his office desk made him cringe as they displayed in his brain. However, he believed his intentions were headed in the right direction.

* * *

"The train's coming! I can hear it!" Lyla called to Perry, who was barely awake. The sun's still down, and he didn't feel a good run to the train was such a good idea. Maybe if they could wait a little longer…

"Come on, you furry oaf! Let's go, eh?" Lyla grabbed his hands and together, they rushed over to the running train. Using a grappling hook from her supply of tools on her belt, she aimed it at the railing of the caboose.

"Now hang on, this may get a little rough, eh?" Lyla warned, slowly sliding towards the caboose's opening. Perry held on, desperately trying not to think about the logistics of the situation. Here they were, Lyla holding onto a grappling hook that was connected to a running caboose's railings while the train pulled her along, her feet quickly propelled forward on the tracks. Perry was in her other arm, thus rendering her hands useless as she had both of them occupied at this moment.

Then, loud stomps caught Perry's attention. Turning around, Perry saw something in the distance. It was the epic of "menacing", and Perry nearly screamed in terror. He tugged on Lyla's jacket for her to look back.

"What is it, P?" Lyla asked, and turned around. Immediately realizing what Perry had seen, she regretted it because what she saw both terrified and mentally scarred her.

What appeared in the menacing image was a rabbit, in metallic limbs protruding from its arms and legs with a terrifying staple-remover mouthpiece that snapped every time it walked. Perry recognized the rabbit. Upon realizing this, he grew afraid.

 _Dennis the Rogue Bunny._

Perry motioned Lyla to hurry.

"Yeah." Lyla agreed. The two slid towards the caboose railings and Lyla swept off her feet as her grappling hook retracted, sending her and Perry near the caboose railings. She managed to grab onto them, and with her free hand, pulled herself up. Panting, Lyla dropped Perry gently on the caboose balcony and stared at the gargantuan rabbit coming their way.

"Now that's the Easter Bunny in nightmares." Lyla commented. "What do we do, eh?"

Perry thought for a moment, but didn't have the time to formulate a plan when the rabbit suddenly _jumped,_ narrowing the distance between the two agents. Its claws marked up the caboose edge, and it swiped at them, snapping its staple-remover teeth. Lyla screamed, and pulled out a handgun. She shot the rabbit several times in the head, but the rabbit appeared to have metal plating on its cranium area and the bullets rocketed off. Out of bullets, Lyla tried to reload her gun, but she realized after checking all of her bullet pouches that she only had 4 bullets left. Swearing a blue streak, she loaded the 4 bullets into the handgun, but was unable to fire any more shots as Dennis' massive hands began to claw at her.

"Fall back! If we don't get any closer to it, I think we'll be fine…" Lyla began, but her hope was short-lived.

The rabbit grew tired of his useless charade, and jumped again. It landed straight in front of Perry, and he stumbled to the floor. Lyla screamed. Dennis looked more frightening up-close.

Perry was only armed with a razor blade, a price to pay as OWCA was running tight on budget this past couple of months and had to share gadgets with other OWCA agents, and held it against Dennis. The robot-machine gargantuan rabbit glared at Perry in recognition.

It hollered a deafening shriek at him. The two agents covered their ears. The rabbit then began to gallop towards Perry, its metal arms protruding and trying to grab the agent.

"Get out of there!" Lyla ordered; throwing whatever she could grab ahold of in the caboose. She threw a lamp, a book, magazines, hell; even a small chair. The objects smashed against Dennis' metal body but the rabbit didn't seem fazed by the objects. He was, however, obviously aggravated. He extended his protrusions and shrieked again.

Perry chattered to Lyla and motioned to her to stop throwing things at Dennis.

"What? Why?" Lyla asked, puzzled by Perry's resentment.

 _I want you safe._ Perry motioned Lyla to run away, and he turned to see Dennis begin tearing the room apart, wrecking the entire room with his monstrous appendages. Perry saw that he was trying to get used to his new form, and needed more room to move around. By the time he was done tearing apart the room, the roof was almost gone and everything in the room had been misplaced, everything except himself.

Pointing the razor blade at Dennis, Perry backed away, trying to look unafraid this time. The cyborg stared at him, and followed his movement. The two agents circled around each other and slowly, Dennis shrank the distance between him and his opponent as he began to strike.

 _You're dead to me, Agent P._

Then, Dennis made his first blow. Reaching out with his right hand, Dennis slammed his fist into the walls of the caboose, narrowly missing Perry by a hair. Perry turned back and saw that Dennis had gotten his hand stuck in the wrecked wall. Knowing that he'll have to climb on top of the animal in order to make any blows, Perry used the animal's anatomy and climbed on top of him. Dennis shrieked and tried to throw him off. Perry held on desperately to his back, trying to reach his knife and stab the thrashing animal. However, Dennis managed to shake him off just when Perry had the knife in his hands and the rabbit threw him against the wall.

Perry's back snapped loudly, the impact nearly breaking his vertebrae. Falling to the floor, he groggily began to immediately pick himself up, not wanting to show any weakness against his opponent, even if he didn't stand a chance. Perry ran at the animal at full-force, knife in hand and at the ready. He slashed at Dennis' legs, slashing at the red pipes that were connected to his legs and body. Perry had saw that the red pipes contained Dennis' blood, and served as flowing vessels to carry his blood to his heart. Perry then wondered why Dennis lacked any plating for his anatomy in those places.

While he was thinking about this, Dennis caught Perry off-guard and kicked him away. Dennis then grabbed the platypus and smashed him against the ground. When Perry was about to get up, Dennis then swung his right hand with considerable strength and force, slashing a very deep gash against Perry's left eye, staining his right arm with Perry's blood.

The platypus screamed in pain, clutching his wound. The gash's impact was considerably painful, and very deep. He could not see out of his left eye anymore; the deep gash that was inflicted upon him had misplaced his pupil and ripped open his eyelids. However, the eye was still intact, and was still connected to his brain, so it wasn't missing entirely. The agonizing pain was still there, however, and Perry whimpered upon impact.

Dennis began to close the distance between them, metal arms at the ready for another blow. Perry enclosed himself into a fetal position, waiting for the worst to come.

 _Now you fall, as all genetically engineered animals must._ Dennis thought, seething.

Meanwhile, Lyla was watching from the other train car in front of the caboose. She saw Perry in considerable pain. It occurred to her that he needed a projectile weapon. Walking over to the scene, she held her four-bullet-loaded handgun in her hands.

"HEY! AGENT P! CATCH!" Lyla screeched, tossing the gun. It landed on the caboose floor, and clattered behind Dennis.

Noticing the noise, Dennis turned and saw Lyla. He began to stomp over to her, his metal arms and legs maneuvering through the debris.

Perry began to pick himself up, but the agonizing paralyzation of his body prevented him from covering ground quickly. Every movement hurt every part of his body. Dennis had done a great deal of damage to his left eye, and he had never felt pain this brutal before. However, upon seeing Dennis go after his friend Lyla, something sparked in his strength, a newfound energy that motivated him to protect the ones he loved and cared for. He would _not_ let anything happen to Lyla.

Standing up, looking at Dennis through his wounded eye, Perry growled threateningly at Dennis. He saw the gun on the floor, and ran to pick it up behind the rabbit before it turned around. After successfully receiving the gun in his hands, Perry stared at Dennis in the eyes, and came to a realization that Dennis' eyes were no longer the baby blue he remembered. Instead, Dennis' eyes were mechanical and glowed a menacing red.

Armed with a blade and now a shotgun, Perry held the gun at Dennis, pointing it at his chest. The platypus's body was shaking due to the fact that he barely had the strength to remain standing, but his willpower kept him steady. Dennis turned to him, and howled a battle cry.

It then struck, and swiped its massive arms and legs at Perry. Perry, feeling a new rush of adrenaline, leapt out of the way. He slashed at the areas where he found the blood vessels protrude, blood splashing on his teal fur in the process. Dennis howled and many times he caught the agent and handled him roughly against gravity. The two danced in this brutal war between animal and beast. Perry was thrown around to the point where he could've broken bones while Dennis was being picked of his petals one by one; each wound hurt with considerable agony.

Eventually, Dennis grew tired of this agonizing dance and caught the nimble platypus in his hands, slamming him against the ground. Then picking him up again, he held the platypus up over his face, snarling at him and snapping his sharp jaws. The rabbit remembered wanting to witness the pleasure of his nemesis dying by severing his head. Dennis looked at the vulnerable platypus in the eyes, preparing his large metal arms for the dismemberment. The platypus's eyes grew wide in fear. Dennis took pleasure in Perry's lack of courage and retracted all of his four fingers on his right hand to reveal very sharp knives of different sizes.

 _I am here to deliver what I should've done to you a year ago. The scientist held me back, but now I've got no damn fool in charge now. Remember this- I am the cause of your demise._

However, this act served as a distraction; he had made an opening for Perry, who, with considerable effort, leaned over and managed to stab his blade into Dennis' chest, plunging it deep into his metal plating that protected his midsection. Then, Perry pried open the compartment using the knife and saw Dennis' beating heart inside.

Dennis realized what Perry was trying to do and slashed his 4-fingered knives at the platypus, managing to throw him off. However, his immediate panic act had made his knives miss Perry's injured eyes, and he was unable to harm or kill the platypus as he fell. Perry impacted to the ground, growing steadily unconscious and very light-headed, managing to narrowly avoid being chopped up into bits. However, he had enough strength to reach his gun and aim it at Dennis' beating heart, which Dennis was trying so desperately to close up.

Perry fired the gun, twice. Two bullets rocketed off of the barrel and plunged deep into Dennis' heart, ripping the flesh and the organ exploded into a horrifying splash of blood. Dennis shrieked again, and fell to the ground, his metal appendages shattering against the impact. Perry then shot the remaining two bullets as a good measure, hoping that he managed to hit something vital. Dennis's metal body twitched uncontrollably and tried to place his dismembered parts together to no avail. Blood was everywhere, coating his chest plate and his face. The heart's organic pieces were splattered all around the horrifying corpse, and the four bullet holes in the rabbit's metal chest served as a constant reminder and cause of his death.

His metal legs gave way thanks to lack of flowing blood pressure and he fell against the floor dead.

The platypus had no longer the strength to rise. He collapsed on the floor against his will, and sank into unconsciousness. Perry saw a dark figure of a woman walk up to him and carry him in her arms gently, raising him up to her face. The brown-haired girl smiled, her blue eyes giving Perry the impression of gentle care.

"Shh, sweetie, you'll be alright, eh…" Her voice was straight out of a song, and it comforted Perry. Shutting his eyes, he finally let his body succumb into the state of unconsciousness.

Perry knew that his rogue nemesis was dead, but Dennis had delivered a severe blow to him, an act that Perry knew for a fact:

The rogue agent did strike back.


	6. Engineer- Chapter 5: Loco Motives

**Chapter 5: Loco Motives**

"Is he all right, eh?" she asked.

"He's regaining conscious. That's a good sign." A familiar masculine voice reassured her.

Perry awoke to find himself on a lab table. Seeing Lyla, he sighed in relief. But after seeing whom she was _with_ , he began to stumble back, nearly falling off of the lab table.

"Whoa, hey! Calm down! It's not what you think, eh!" Lyla reached for Perry and caught him in time. He stumbled back but regained footing as Lyla slid him back. He pointed a finger accusingly at the lab-coated man that was his assigned nemesis, emitting a loud chatter.

"I know, I know, Perry the Platypus, you're probably wondering what am I doing here. Well let me say that this lady came into my office first, and she happened to be carrying your bloody corpse. Naturally, I should've just rejected her and reported her presence to my boss. But, seeing your vulnerable state, I had to give my intentions a change. I injected insta-heal into your body so your wounds should be healing at a faster pace. I couldn't do anything about that nasty eye-gouge, though. You should be fine wearing that eye patch I strapped on." Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz commented on Perry's state, pointing at the platypus' left eye. Perry reached for his injured left eye and felt fabric. He saw that the eye patch was already wrapped taught around his head and was secure.

Crossing his arms, Perry turned to Lyla, demanding an explanation.

"We arrived at our destination that Lady Flor en Flor provided us soon enough, but you were bleeding very quickly. I needed to find you shelter right away before you ended up as, as he described, a bloody corpse in my hands, and I happen to stumble upon his place. I saw him at the window, and I climbed up in a tree to get to him. Caught him by complete surprise, I did, eh? I told him the whole story, and he went right to it. For an evil scientist, you make a good doctor, eh?" Lyla commented on Dr. Doofenshmirtz's handiwork.

"Had a doctor's degree, with a touch of engineering." Dr. Doofenshmirtz shrugged. "So, I see you two had in a run-in with Bannister's new minion, right? Yeah, I know about it."

Perry nodded, unwittingly. He now knew Dennis was Bannister's making. But Perry wondered why had Bannister used Dennis in his plans to eliminate him rather than have one of his goons or LOVEMUFFIN do it for him. Bannister had a high standing in the LOVEMUFFIN organization, and was notorious for building killing machines that could serve for terrifying purposes. But why Dennis in particular, was it because of the history he and the rabbit the rabbit shared? Dennis had wanted Perry dead for a long time, but had chosen to go the route of Bannister's diabolical engineering and had lost his animosity in the process.

"Hey listen, you both aren't safe here. When Bannister finds you here, he won't think twice to kill you both, especially if he finds out that you've eliminated Dennis. You need to get out of here, and I'll say that I hadn't seen you." Dr. Doofenshmirtz packed all of his medical tools in a single suitcase and stashed it away.

"This is Bannister's base?" Lyla asked, marveling over Dr. Doofenshmirtz's room, which was decorated with shelves and shelves of medical equipment, chemicals, metal parts, and unfinished projects. One object caught Lyla's attention in particular.

"What's that, eh?" Lyla asked, pointing at a contraption in the corner.

"Oh that's just my duo-pod. Bannister said he had no use for it, so I stashed it away. Quite a waste, if I do say so myself. That thing was hard to come by and hard to build." Dr. Doofenshmirtz commented, rubbing his tired hands.

Perry looked in Lyla's direction and steadily got up from the table. Hastily, with Lyla's support, he walked over to the contraption, surprised at how much strength he had in order to walk. The insta-heal chemicals had worked, after all. He wondered how many insta-heal syringes were injected into his skin to cause this effect, and shuddered at the thought. Good thing he was asleep through it all.

Staring at the duo-pod, he stared at it, thinking quizzically. The duo-pod resembled Dennis slightly, or rather, his metal appendages. If he could learn to pilot one of these things, then maybe he'd have a possible edge against Bannister…

"What is it, P?" Lyla asked.

Perry had a small idea. It wasn't a very reliable one, and it was another one that he had personally not thought out himself or had ever tried before, but he wanted to give it a go, since they now had a chance.

Perry chattered in Dr. Doofenshmirtz's direction and pointed at the duo-pod.

"What's he saying?" Dr. Doofenshmirtz asked, but then after reading Perry's hand motions a bit more, his eyes went wide. "Really? You want to give my duo-pod a test run? Wow, that's great. Finally, someone who's willing to try some of my stuff out." He smiled; proud that someone was willing to try out whether his inventions truly did work. Perry nodded and turned to Lyla.

"Um, I'll stand back and watch. You two go have fun, eh?" Lyla motioned them away, crossing her hands to her shoulders. _Finally_ , _a plan that can give Professor Bannister a run for his money._

* * *

Professor Bannister paced around his office, a coffee mug in his hands, and waiting to hear any new news about Dennis. After hearing that he had been dismantled on a recent shipment train, he tracked the vehicle and found nothing of his interest that could've caused the incident. It was not possible. Dennis had strong titanium cybernetics; it would take a lot of damage for him to simply dismantle in a matter of 2 days. But here he was with the dilemma, and there was nothing he could do. Bannister remembered a scheduled shipment of his manufactured stock was scheduled for today, and had an appointment to head over to the train station and make his way over to Danville. Bannister knew he would have to solve this issue quickly before his train would arrive.

Then, Me-Positive went back to his office and filed a report.

"There has been monitored suspicious behavior on Floor 4B. Our sources say that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, one of your interns had left the laboratory and is heading for the training facility. We are keeping an eye on him, but he appears not to be alone. Two unrecognizable figures are with him, although we are unable to capture any footage before our security systems began to power down due to unknown reasons. We don't currently know the situation, but we will report back to you once we do. What should we do next?" Me-Positive asked, reporting to Bannister on his findings. Bannister turned to Me-Positive, and shifted uncomfortably on his seat.

 _An unauthorized visit to the training facility in this late of the night_ , Professor Bannister thought for a moment, placing his right hand to his chin. Then again, Heinz Doofenshmirtz wasn't always the predictable of sorts. There had to be something more to the story. Dr. Doofenshmirtz needed a motivation to visit the laboratory; the place was devoid of anything of interest and the only reason to go there was to test something out. Perhaps Dr. Doofenshmirtz decided to give his new contraption he had shown Bannister earlier a try, hoping that he would be so-called "impressed" at his skill and creativity… right?

"Give me footage of him and try to get the security system back on. Keep your distance, if what you say is true it will disturb our organization and the facility if the rest of the workers figure out what's going on. If questioned, keep your answers on a need-to-know basis, but try not to have any witnesses." Professor Bannister stood, setting the coffee mug on the table.

"Where are you going, Professor?" Me-Positive asked.

"Where else? I'm going to inspect the facility. I can't have other hands messing around with my contraptions, and I need everything untouched before I leave earlier today." Bannister answered, and then shut the door in Me-Positive's face, locking him once again inside of his office.

Me-Positive stared at the locked door only for a moment, until realizing what Professor Bannister had intended for. Again. Now protected from any witnesses and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Me-Positive opened a compartment on the wall that was hidden underneath one of the pictures on the left wall. A picture of Professor Bannister and Lady Flor en Flor was visible, and the droid tore it off. There was a knob compartment underneath, and Me-Positive pushed it down. A TV-view screen folded out from the ceiling and hovered in Me-Positive's view. Switching it on, Me-Positive began rewiring the TV, setting its view from the camera inside of the Training Facility.

Me-Positive turned on a switch on its forehead and an antenna extended. It began notifying the other skeleton androids in the base, alerting them to Dr. Doofenshmirtz's presence and the two unrecognized figures.

Slowly, one by one, each android received the message, and began to take action in repairing the deactivated cameras around the base. A strike team was lead towards the training facility, planning to apprehend Dr. Doofenshmirtz when he stepped out the door. Professor Bannister was with them, in front of the group.

"You will attack at approximately 10 minutes and 2 seconds. They will be taken by surprise. Remain here and run in when the timer goes off. We don't have a lot of time, because the next shipment that was scheduled earlier in the week is already in order. Hurry and get into position, ward them off while I board the train." Professor Bannister ordered.

The androids marched in formation, hiding among the many objects around the hallway and some androids activated cloaking devices that would hide their presence from opposing enemies. Once satisfied that they were out of sight, Professor Bannister turned around and inspected his soldiers at a last measure, checked his watch, and then left for his scheduled train ticket.

It was only approximately 10 minutes and 2 seconds until Dr. Doofenshmirtz walked out of the facility and would be destroyed.

* * *

"Take it slow and steady at first. Lean in the direction you wish to move in, but don't lean in too far or else you'll go spiraling off the thing, and, WHOA WAIT! WAIT!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz screamed and held his arms in front of his face as the platypus inside of the Duo-Pod nearly crashed into him. Perry the Platypus managed to control the pod just in time and press hard on the break step that was visible on his leg pieces, only centimeters away from Dr. Doofenshmirtz's vulnerable state.

"Control! You must learn control! How many times have I told you to take it slow and steady? You can't learn if you keep rushing ahead! Now go back to start position and don't try to kill me this time." Dr. Doofenshmirtz snapped, shooing Perry back to the other side of the room.

Lyla watched as Dr. Doofenshmirtz began to teach Perry the simple maneuvers and how to control the Duo-Pod, astounded by the evil scientist's sense of authority and the way he corrected Perry's actions. The platypus was struggling at first, and often fell over. However, after careful counseling and heartfelt motivation, Dr. Doofenshmirtz managed to let Perry back on his feet. Slowly, Lyla saw the improvement upon Perry's skills.

 _He could become a great teacher._ Lyla thought for a moment, and then shrugged it off. Dr. Doofenshmirtz was evil, and the only motivation for helping them was to probably overthrow Bannister and rule in his place. She and Perry were only here to stop Bannister and bring down Bannister Evil Enterprises. Soon, they'll be facing off against the professor, and they'll complete the mission. It would take time, but they will be ready.

"Okay, you've got a rhythm, keep going! You got it! You've done it! Woohoo! _Yes_! It works! Hahaha!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz cheered, and Lyla turned to watch her partner in action.

Indeed, Perry had finally learned control. Maneuvering the duo-pod around the wide space of the training facility, he skated around, enjoying the adrenaline push of his movements and actions. Trying out a few air tricks of his own, Perry heard his nemesis and Lyla cheer as he performed a backflip.

"You go, P! That was amazing!" Lyla called out, cheering. Perry smiled and landed his new trick on two feet. Then, he began to skate back to his friends, each movement and friction of the leather straps that kept him intact with the machine felt natural, almost as though he had used a machine such as this for all his life. It felt exhilarating.

Staring at his friends, he knew what they were thinking. Raising a mechanical hand from the duo-pod, he placed it in the middle.

"For the fate of the people of Village, eh?" Lyla placed her hand on top of Perry's.

"What she said." Dr. Doofenshmirtz shrugged and also placed his hand in.

* * *

Professor Bannister checked his watch, and saw that it was 7:30. He was on time. The black-coated train known as the _Quicksilver_ blew its whistle in the distance, and Bannister saw it coming.

Eventually the train stopped, and opened its passenger doors. Boarding the Latin America train, Professor Bannister showed his train ticket to the officer and took his seat. Checking his watch again, this time monitoring the progress of Me-Positive, he assumed that his androids left at the base could take care of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's supposed mutiny, although he had backup with him in the storage cars just in case. They had escorted him to the train, and so far, nothing had happened.

Yet.

Checking Me-Positive's status was essential of knowing where his mutineer's whereabouts were. He decided to contact him, for a last measure.

"What's the status, Me-Positive?" Professor Bannister spoke into his voice-communicator from his watch.

"Neutral. Nothing has happened as of now."

"Keep me updated, especially when the lion's left his den." Bannister ordered and relaxed on his chair after finding out he was sitting upright in the same position for a total 2 minutes. Settling down, he stared out of his train window, watching his base shrink into the distance.

When he returned he expected to see Dr. Doofenshmirtz's dead corpse laid on the scene and any witnesses either dismembered or held for ransom.

* * *

"They're on a full-defense system now. Even if I managed to hack into the security system last time, the droids probably have backup with different structures and programs installed. We won't be able to come out the front door without sustaining heavy fire, and so, we're going to have to sneak our way past them." Dr. Doofenshmirtz ordered.

"Isn't there another way? This training facility is bound to have other pathways leading to other rooms of the base." Lyla asked, crossing her arms and leaning on Perry's duo-pod's right leg.

"There is, just over in that corner by the left. It's a longer path but it's the safest."

"Great. Let's move." Lyla ordered.

The three began walking towards the exit of the facility. Coming closer, Perry sensed with electrolocation that there was something coming their way. He couldn't detect body heat from the object, so he assumed it wasn't human. With reflex, he shoved his friends down.

"Whoa! What the-" Lyla began but then was cut off as a bullet whizzed past her head, missing her braided brown hair by a centimeter. Turning around, Lyla looked for the person that shot her, but found no one.

"What was that?" Lyla asked, but before she could receive an answer, she heard Perry chatter loudly and she was knocked to the floor. A skeleton robot had tackled her to the ground and began clawing its bony fingers at her face. Screaming, Lyla kicked it straight in the face and threw a punch. The skeleton flailed at her but Lyla pulled out a handgun and shot it twice in the chest.

"Damn thing, scared the bejesus out of me." Lyla snarled. She then saw that 2 more skeleton androids had also attacked her friends while she was dealing with her own, and rushed to their aid.

Perry had enough trouble trying to keep balance on his duo-pod while trying to hit a fast-moving opponent. He struck blow after blow but he was unable to hit anything. Perry considering detaching himself from the cockpit but he was unable to do so in time, since removing the straps from his body would take a tedious process and open himself up for his opponent to attack. So he remained sitting, trying his best in his situation.

Snagging the skeleton in the ribs with one of his fingertips, Perry yanked his metal arms over to him, carrying the skeleton along with it. The skeleton reached at Perry, clawing at his flesh with its sharp fingers but Perry swatted it away and once the skeleton was to the ground, Perry used his large metal feet to stomp on it, crushing its identity chip, the very thing that kept it alive.

It was dead.

Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, having experience with dealing skeleton robots before, he had it down before it even reached him, using an AK-47 rifle to shoot the unsuspecting droid in the chest. Thanks to some shooting practice, Dr. Doofenshmirtz had managed to score a hit on his first shot. The droid went down. However, he knew more were coming. They had to make it to the train before they would become overwhelmed.

"Let's go! We can't last any longer out here, and we have to make it to the train!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz ordered and carried his gun in his hands. He saw Lyla and Perry begin to follow him, and together, they ran for the door.

"Where'd he get the gun?" Lyla murmured to herself, amused.

The two humans had successfully made it unharmed, and the evil scientist turned to see Perry smash the door down, making room for his large size. _Well that just made things less subtle._

Dr. Doofenshmirtz ignored the thousand reasons why they should've let themselves die and continued leading the group out of the base. Running into security androids along with the way, he, Lyla, and Perry managed to defeat them with some to little difficulty. However, there were many of them, and soon, he felt his efforts begin to exhaust.

"I see the train in the distance! They're taking off now, but I think we'll make it!" Lyla called out, shooting a skeleton in front of her in the heart and then kicking it in the face. This gave the evil scientist confidence, as his efforts were beginning to succeed, the first time in decades.

 _This time I will not fail._


	7. Engineer- Chapter 6: Is it worth it?

**Chapter 6: Everything I've worked Towards… Is it worth it, now?**

"The 3 mutineers had moved out of the base, and are heading your way. They are approximately 10 kilometers from the _Quicksilver_ , and are moving at a fast pace." Me-Positive reported.

Professor Bannister tensed. This was very unexpected. How were the three suspects able to escape his defense army? Perhaps they had extra help, or had an advantage of some sort.

 _Was it possible that Dr. Doofenshmirtz might be working with the enemy_?

Professor Bannister had heard rumors about the agency, and their policy of genetically altered animal agents. He never quite knew how they managed to manipulate the DNA strands and give them human intelligence, but somehow they had genetically engineered them into becoming employees, interns, order-following enforcers, and guards. Perhaps it was a move to show off technology and get away with the fact that they didn't have to pay real human employees and could go as cheap as they wanted with the animals' raises, because they were after all, anything but human.

Professor Bannister also had his suspicions about Lyla Lolliberry, one of the very few human agents of the OWCA. She was part of the COWCA division, the Canadian OWCA, and was his assigned nemesis. They both hated each other with a burning passion, and Bannister believed that she was with Dr. Doofenshmirtz. It was the only way the scientist had even escaped his barrage in the first place.

Whoever the third person or animal assisting Dr. Doofenshmirtz's escape was, thought Bannister, he would soon find out.

* * *

"Hurry! We're almost there!" Lyla called. The train was in sight, but it was moving. Perry struggled to keep up with Lyla, but his actions were beginning to tire. So was his nemesis, whom was also showing signs of exhaustion.

By the time they were at the station, it was deserted and the train was gone.

"Ah _shit_. There goes our one-way route." Lyla sighed. Turning to Perry, she leaned against one of the structure poles that kept the roof of the station steady.

Then, Perry had an idea. Another one. He chattered to Lyla and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, pointing to the feet of his duo-pod.

"Rockets? But I haven't been able to install them since… oh wait, now I remember. There's a compartment to activate them, underneath your right arm. Now be careful and-" Dr. Doofensmirtz never got to finish his sentence as Perry accidentally pressed his right arm against his straps, pressing the button that was underneath and his duo-pod's feet began to steam. Steam-powered air hovered him out of the air.

"Now what did I tell you about being careful? I bet you, you're probably going to find the self-destruct button too! Now hurry up and get us to the train." Dr. Doofenshmirtz slung himself over Perry, and Lyla did the same. Perry was able to compensate for their weight using the machine, and sped onto the tracks using his learned skills. Perry also kept the thought of the self-destruct button's location at the back of his head for good measure as well.

The train was near in sight. Leaning over towards the caboose railings, Perry let his two allies reach proper footing on the balcony first before he stood and allowed himself onboard, shutting off his thrusters. The two humans were already inside, across all the way towards other side of the caboose, far away from him. Perry stared at them, confused.

"What? You make one hell of a mess, and we don't want to get caught in the blast when you bust down the door to come inside." Lyla commented, and Perry relaxed. Using whatever force he could use, he broke the opening apart with his bare hands, smashing them into bits of scrap-wood.

"Much more subtle." Dr. Doofenshmirtz commented.

* * *

Bannister was already making his way towards the storage system, where his protective guards remained.

"Seal off the passenger entrance, and keep them far away. We wouldn't want any witnesses. Keep them in the passenger cars for as long as possible." Bannister ordered, and shooed 2 of his guards away. The rest of the guards stood in front of him, awaiting order.

"It looks like we're going to have to meet face-to-face with our mutineers." Professor Bannister reached into one of his storage boxes and pulled out a metal backpack. It would serve him some purpose in the future, when he needed it the most.

* * *

"Bannister's on this train, so he's bound to have many guards with him. Be careful out there." Dr. Doofenshmirtz said.

"Approximately how many? Do you have an exact number?" Lyla asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. 12 guards. I saw him leave with 12 guards while Perry the Platypus was doing his thing. I saw them walk by the facility, and at first I thought they were coming inside for us. Good thing they didn't." Dr. Doofenshmirtz commented, keeping track of his surroundings and looking around.

"Why is that, eh?" Lyla asked, keeping a firm grip of her handgun in her holster.

"Because they are the most well-programmed and well-trained of Professor Bannister's inventions." Dr. Doofenshmirtz said, and then stopped.

"Holy crap." Lyla gasped, standing back.

5 metal Professor Bannister look-a-likes stood in front of them, their positions lined up side-by-side and blocking the entrance to the passenger cars. Lyla then saw 5 other metal robots blocked off the entrance behind them. Puzzled, Lyla wondered how those metal robots got behind them until she heard footsteps. She also wondered where were the last 2 remaining robots.

The mastermind behind Bannister Evil Enterprises rose from his position behind his guards, waving a hand to make way. Dr. Doofenshmirtz tensed, standing back. Lyla stared at her nemesis face-to-face, seeking vengeance.

"You've done not a good damn thing in your life and you come here with your pretty ladies, eh? You should be ashamed." Lyla snarled, placing her hands to her hips.

Professor Bannister stood still, neither fear nor resentment showing on neither his face nor his position. It was as though Lyla's remark had been swallowed before it reached any meaning to Bannister.

"Lyla Lolliberry. It's a pleasure to see you again. You've brought friends, I see. You've led a mutineer straight to my doorstep and here you are, complaining that I've done wrong? Please, dear, I'm only wishing to give this world a better future." Professor Bannister said smoothly, his grin curving into a smirk.

"You've killed thousands of people just for your campaign! Forced them into hard labor without mind of the fact that they're as human as you! Remember what happened last time?! You nearly lost your company once you got arrested." Lyla sneered.

"Memories of the past, long forgotten. You needn't dwell on them anymore. It wouldn't matter now, because I've gotten you all into my little trap. Now fools, prepare to suffer a truly pitiful death." Bannister ordered his soldiers to close in on the three opponents.

"Could've chosen a less cramped place for combat." Dr. Doofenshmirtz commented.

"Last fight was on a plane." Lyla returned, baring her handgun and razor blade at the ready.

"Kill them." Professor Bannister snapped his fingers, and stepped to the side.

Immediately, 4 of the ten robots shot copper cables at Perry's duo-pod, snagging him and the contraption down. Thrashing, Perry reached out with his arms and limbs, only to come up short as they pulled him apart. It was as though ringmasters tried to calm a terrifying large beast.

"There goes our last resort." Dr. Doofenshmirtz shrugged, stepping back to gawk at the horrific sight.

"Don't just stand there! Help him!" Lyla fired 2 bullets from her newly reloaded shogun, and they grazed the surface of the two droids. Unlike the skeleton droids, these ones had thick protective bulletproof layers over their endoskeletons. However, they could feel impact, and they turned to Lyla threateningly.

Another group formation, 4 in count began to attack Lyla and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The last two remained with Bannister, protecting him from harm's way. The two humans began facing in hand-to-hand combat, hitting and parrying blows one after another.

Meanwhile, the 4 droids holding Perry down were beginning to feel a strain, as Perry pulled at their restraints. Pushing with all his might and raising his hands upwards, he thrust his two free hands away and tore off the cables one by one. His battle rage intensified, and Perry faced off against his opponents, two at a time, swinging his large arms and limbs at them. He managed to snag one and smashed his metal fist against its chest, sending it spiraling into the left wall off the train, creating a large crater in the wall.

Perry grabbed the other droid and another and smashed their heads together. He threw them at the last droid, who was at the ready with a javelin, and managed to vault out of the way as its two robot allies smashed into the wall, nearly attacking Professor Bannister, however the droid's master was out of range physically.

Using the javelin, the droid ran up to Perry and attacked. Perry blocked its blows but the droid was very well versed in javelin-fighting, and managed to land a swipe against Perry's left part of his face, landing a painful blow to his injured eye. Perry was forced to fall back, and the robot received its opening. It slammed the javelin horizontally against Perry's chest, causing him to scream in pain. The droid was backing up for one more strike before Perry managed to catch the javelin with his robotic hand just in time with strained effort, and yanked it out of the droid's hands. Using its own medicine against it, Perry slammed the javelin through the droid's chest, this time _vertically_ , and he plunged it as deep as he could. The droid grasped the javelin and tried to take it out but to no avail and it went limp.

 _4 robots down, 6 to go._ Perry turned to the robots guarding Professor Bannister and planned his next move.

Meanwhile, Lyla and Dr. Doofenshmirtz were having a hard time with their opponents; unlike Perry they didn't have the advantage of being the twice the size of the robots and having large arms and limbs to use. They were at the disposal of hand-to-hand combat, weapons, and guns. Lyla landed a kick in the chest of Robot-1, which she referred to, while Robot-2 was on her other side, striking a blow against her face.

"Oh you really made Mama mad now, eh!" Lyla snarled, tripping Robot-2 and jumped on top of it, landing punch after punch against its dented head. She began to try and grab its neck to pry its head off but Robot-2 grabbed her and threw her away, slamming her against the wall.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz wasn't having much luck either, and he was getting pretty beat up. For the first time since his youth, he was in the middle of the fight itself rather than a spectator. It felt strange, yet he felt his younger strength kicking in, the nostalgia of blood well-spent in his older days of observing high school bullies, and improving his pitiful but improving self-defense against others who wanted him dead. He learned many things from duels with his nemesis, and was proficient in the martial arts and defense. Dr. Doofenshmirtz struck blows and parried, and began to see openings quickly from his opponents, and received more successful hits than injuries. He was rather enjoying himself, allowing himself to believe this was all just his usual evil everyday workout.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz slammed his fist against Droid-3, who was his unlucky opponent and shoved him against the wall. Landing blow after blow, he landed a series of fists against its forehead and slowly began moving his hands towards his gun. Retrieving it and locked and loaded, Dr. Doofenshmirtz aimed his gun at the droid's chest and shot it a total of 4 times. 5, just to make sure.

The droid was down. _5 more to go._

"Eyy! Old man! Need a little help over here!" Lyla called, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz heard. Turning over his weapon, he fired at Robot-2 and 1, catching their attention. However, he was not aware of Droid-4, who popped up behind him and strangled him in a chokehold. Dr. Doofenshmirtz felt his windpipe tighten as he gasped for oxygen.

"Don't move!" Lyla picked up the AK-47 Dr. Doofenshmirtz dropped. The evil scientist paled.

"Don't!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz gasped, but was unable to say anymore through his squeezed windpipe, and held his arms out in defense. Lyla aimed the gun at Dr. Doofenshmirtz's attacker, and fired. Dr. Doofenshmirtz covered his face with his arms, awaiting impact.

It didn't come.

Lyla's shot was lucky. Droid-4 fell limp, immobilized. Its head was protruding a large bullet hole. Dr. Doofenshmirtz released himself of the chokehold, throwing the droid off and reached his hands out for Lyla, motioning for his gun. Lyla threw it to him. When the droid looked up, Dr. Doofenshmirtz smirked, the AK-47 taught at his grip.

"Sweet dreams, you piece of junk." Dr. Doofenshmirtz shot the droid's chest, exploding its ID chip. Thanks to the closeness of the muzzle, the bullet was able to penetrate through the droid's chest.

"Behind you!" Lyla screeched, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz ducked, narrowly missing a swing from Robot-2. Turning back-to-back with Lyla, they faced their opponents, now 2 on 2.

"Now it's an even fight." Lyla sneered. The two worked together in formation against their robotic enemies, hitting and parrying at a choreographed rhythm, calculating their opponents' moves and strikes.

"Here! Use this!" Lyla called, picking up the javelin of one of the fallen droids on the floor. She slammed it against Robot 1's chest, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz held it in the air while Lyla lifted herself using her grip of the javelin and swung her body, kicking Robot 2 straight in the head. Landing on her feet, Lyla helped Dr. Doofenshmirtz pry the javelin against Robot 2's chest, managing to stick the two droids' chests together in the same javelin.

"Now don't you move, you two, or else it will hurt more." Lyla joked, as she stood with her hands on her hips. The droids didn't take her advice and kept thrashing before they realized that they've sustained too much damage to their ID chips and they crumbled to the ground. Lyla nodded to Dr. Doofenshmirtz and turned to Bannister, who was still hiding behind his two bodyguards, who were trying to ward off Perry the Platypus's Duo-Pod's limbs.

"Now the battle's on our side." Lyla smirked. Together, the three heroes fought against Bannister's 2 guards, Lyla landing blow after blow while Dr. Doofenshmirtz fired from long-range and Perry ripping apart the two droids' bulletproof chests. Eventually, Dr. Doofenshmirtz managed to fire off 2 shots that struck the two defenseless droids in the chest, ending their maniacal dance and the two droids fell to the ground, dead.

Perry stood in front of Bannister with Lyla and his nemesis behind him, snarling. Professor Bannister stared at them blankly, trying to register what was going on.

"B-But how…? Those were my very own personally trained bodyguards. They shouldn't have been defeated so easily!" Bannister snarled.

"Well it looks like everything's got a weakness. Game's over, Professor. Time to be headin' back to your cell." Lyla sneered.

Professor Bannister laughed.

"You will not stop me. Everything's going just as I have planned. My enterprises are already in good hands. You may stop this current shipment on this train, but these are only minor compared to what we have in the makings. Soon, Danville will fall under my command, and I will be the most powerful dictator there is!" Professor Bannister sneered, and pressed a button on his backpack strap.

Long metal arms protruded from his backpack, and leather straps connected to his arms and legs. Metal legs and arms were strapped to Bannister's arms and legs, and were all connected by the backpack. Perry gasped in horror as Bannister's appearance mimicked that of his own duo-pod.

"Hey! That's _my_ design!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz shouted, but was thrust aside as Bannister swung his massive arms and legs around, tearing up the roof of the train car. It came down in large chunks of cement as Lyla and Dr. Doofenshmirtz sought shelter.

"P!" Lyla screamed, but was caught under the debris. Perry quickly avoided any debris from falling and took shelter in the wider holes in the roofs. Professor Bannister laughed maniacally as Lyla, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and Perry struggled to remain alive underneath the debris. Perry turned to Professor Bannister with newfound strength and jumped at the professor full force.

The two wrestled each other in battle, but Bannister proved to be stronger than him, and far more experienced. He shoved Perry away, sending him flying across the other side of the car. Falling to the ground, Perry picked himself up again and began to strike. The two continued to wrestle each other and their brutal game; each landing blows against each other, although Bannister had the cunning edge. Eventually, he grabbed Perry by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

"Damn thing, you really think you're OWCA's best agent? Yeah, I've heard of you, and I _know_ you. You're that beaver duck that was with Miss Lyla last mission, eh? Well I'm here to tell you that every _thing_ 's got a weakness. Animals like you won't understand, because you've never experienced your natural habitat." Bannister slammed Perry's head against the wall and threw him down to the floor. He was ready to land one of his jagged fingers into Perry's chest, impaling him, but a gunshot crackled.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz had shot Bannister in one of his mechanical arms.

"No one hurts my nemesis but me! Now get your ass over here and fight me or I'll kill you this time!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz reloaded his gun, slowly but efficiently. Professor Bannister turned to Dr. Doofenshmirtz, his arms and legs extended and ready to face whatever threats the evil scientist had on him. His duo-pod's left arm had a large gaping bullet hole that was still fresh, agitating him. Dr. Doofenshmirtz aimed his gun, and Professor Bannister struck.

The blow knocked Dr. Doofenshmirtz off his feet and sent him spiraling against the wall, nearly breaking his vertebrae. Immobilized, Dr. Doofenshmirtz's AK-47 was out of reach. Bannister inched towards him, and as he walked, he saw the gun and using his metal feet, he smashed it into pieces.

"Life is not just guns and bullets, Heinz. Sometimes, we are faced with fear in the eye- immobilized, unable to move, unable to scream. Do you know how that feels? Tell me now, do you hear the taunting sound of my voice? The only comfort you'll ever get from the outside world is only that one moment until the knife slowly cuts away deep into your chest and stabs straight into your heart. When that happens, it is like a chain reaction. Once the heart stops beating, the flow of blood stops. Everything stops, as though you've been stopped in time. Do you know how that feels?" Professor Bannister hissed, retracting his right hand and replacing it with a longsword, about 2 yards long and 2 inches wide. It resembled a katana, a sword Dr. Doofenshmirtz had once had experience with. He wished he had one that he could use to fight back.

Professor Bannister held the sword at the ready, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, completely paralyzed, scrambled out of the way, but was unable to.

"D-Damnit…" His struggle wasn't doing him any good.

"Your last idea was well-spent, Heinz. As you can see, admittedly, it inspired me. I hope you enjoy your last essence of fresh air on this earth." Bannister leaned back and began to plunge the sword towards Dr. Doofenshmirtz's chest.

A deafening screech was heard, although it was not from Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz looked above him, and sustained the urge to let out a blood-curling shriek, not that he could anyway.

Lyla Lolliberry was standing in front of him, her eyes wide with fear yet vengeance as Bannister's sword was straight through her chest. The evil scientist saw blood trickling down her fatal wound as she bled to death.

"Well, would you look at that, a noble sacrifice for an evil scientist. An uncharacteristic decision, _especially_ coming from an OWCA agent." Professor Bannister shook his head pitifully, and yanked the sword from Lyla's chest roughly, retracting the bloody sword back into his arm.

Lyla, who was already down the process of comatose, collapsed to the ground. Perry rushed to her aid, and held her gently in his abnormally large hands, but he found that it was instead hurting her, as the appendages were sharp.

"D-Don't try i-it." Lyla waved Perry's hands away. "S-Stay strong, P. I'll be there in t-that, eh?" Lyla pointed to Perry's head. "Y-Yeah, t-that. M-Myself was w-well s-spent…eh... " Lyla smiled weakly, feeling Perry's left cheek and his left wound, then growing limp. Her pouring wound began to dry and Perry gently set her down.

Something triggered in Perry's emotions. It was raw, relentless, and the only word worth describing it was _primal_. Perry had never been taught emotion before, and this was his first time actually feeling one. A very _strong_ one.

It was _rage._

Standing up, Perry gazed at Bannister, his blood-red eyes now even redder than they used to be. Then, he went for Bannister. Moving at uncontrolled speed, he launched himself at Bannister and succeeded in tackling him to the ground. Landing one blow after another in a fit of rage, Perry smashed his metal fists against Bannister's face over and over again. Once he grew tired of this charade, he held Bannister by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

The primal animal roared at him.

Something told Perry that he was losing control, and that he should let the horrid man go. Yet, this was the man who killed his partner in cold blood. He didn't deserve to live. Yet, this was wrong. If he killed Bannister he would've been the same as him; Perry would've also killed Bannister in cold blood as well.

Distracted, Bannister then made his move by undoing his own straps and pulling out a razor blade. He slashed it against Perry's left eye, opening the wound again, causing Perry to fling Bannister away and cry in pain. Bannister then took his opportunity and found the self-destruct button to Perry's duo-pod, slashing at the straps that kept Perry in place and pressed the button, severing his ties from his mechanical suit. The duo-pod exploded, sending Perry against the room against the broken walls of the caboose.

The platypus was now dismembered; he no longer had the protection of his metal armor with him. Defenseless and no longer the primal animal he was, he felt genuine fear. Perry hated himself for it.

"Tell me, little platypus, what do you fear?" Professor Bannister stalked up to Perry, extracting the bloody sword from his body. He was going to kill him in the same manner as Lyla. Perry shakily stood to his feet, staring at Bannister in the eyes with his own. His left eye was bleeding excessively, but he didn't let the pain bother him. The only thing that separated him from Bannister was that Perry had been planning Bannister's fate ever since he learned the story of his past from Lady Flor en Flor. He decided to embrace it, and carry it out.

"Pitiful. An animal half the size of my own wishes to fight the devil himself until he rightfully meets his foolish death. Like David and Goliath, size doesn't matter. But in reality we must take matters into our own hands. If you wish to meet your inevitable fate…" Bannister held the sword at the ready.

"Then so _be it_."

Bannister stabbed at Perry, but the agent ducked, and struck for Bannister's back. He grabbed Bannister's back with all his might and reached for Bannister's razor blade that was clipped to his belt.

"Let go of me, you pitiful animal!" Bannister screamed, but Perry held on tightly, although he felt his grip slipping. With straining effort, he reached for his knife. Perry saw the two metal arms of Bannister's come towards him, ready to stab and pry him apart. Using whatever reflex training he had earlier, he swiped the weapon and slashed at Bannister's leather straps that kept the entire contraption together, immediately jumping off. Falling to the floor, Perry strained his neck to see the event fold out in front of him.

Slowly, the entire contraption of Professor Bannister's began to dismantle. Bannister realized this in horror and he began to lose his balance. The backpack shattered due to the extended weight of the hands and he tumbled to the floor, all of his former glory following along with him.

 _Now you feel what it's like to be stripped of your dignity._ Perry inched closer to Bannister, his primal instinct slowly kicking back in. Professor Bannister stared at him only for a moment before scrambling away in fear.

"Stay away! I swear I will kill you if you take any step closer!" Bannister threatened, but Perry knew he had no weapon. Bannister was not armed with a gun; he believed Bannister had made the careless decision that his guards were to do the fighting for him.

By now, he was only 1 centimeter away from Bannister. Perry grabbed him by the shirt and stood him up on his knees. Shocked, Bannister regained footing, only to see Perry's menacing face, and a horrifying thought crossed his mind.

"Oh, you really don't mean _to kill me_ , do you? I'm just a simple man off to make a living. You wouldn't really think of me as some murderous psychopath, do you? Come on let's talk this out. You really should be thinking this through, after all I am an owner of a very large corporation. Think of what you can benefit from that. It'll even compensate for Lyla, and I'll pay off all her expenses, I promise you! Just, don't come any step further…" Bannister rambled, trying to change Perry's mind as the platypus stalked up to him, and he stepped back slowly, matching the platypus' pace.

"Hey, let's think about this. You won't gain anything from killin' me. Trust me, I've learnt that the hard way in LOVEMUFFIN. Everyone in that damn organization wanted to kill each other. But like the Darwin theory, I eliminated them and by process of elimination kept the strongest alive. _Me_. Are you even listening?" Bannister grinned nervously, and continued to step back. By now, only the running tracks and Perry were in Bannister's path. Bannister looked around and saw the passenger car and the rolling tracks beneath his feet.

"Oh, you can't really be serious. Think about this- again, consider this. Y-You won't want to do this. I-I trust you wouldn't want to do this. P-Please let there be a way to c-change your mind-" Bannister began.

Perry was not convinced.

"Please- I'll do anything. Tell Lady Flor en Flor, I... I miss her." Bannister admitted out loud.

The woman's name flashed in Perry's memory, but Perry's will pushed it out of the way. Without emotion, without fear, anger, or even the hint of empathy, Perry fulfilled his destiny.

He pushed Bannister off the train.

Watching Bannister's body fall underneath the tracks, and hearing the train wheels slice into his skin, Perry closed his eyes and blocked out the sound of the professor's blood-curling shriek as it echoed through his mind.

Perry had killed Bannister in cold blood.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz had arose from his catatonic state, his consciousness slowly returning to his body. Seeing Perry the Platypus, he tried to get up. However Perry was at his side already and carefully offered his help. Dr. Doofenshmirtz took his hands and stood on his two feet, brushing off the battle dirt he had found himself covered in.

"What happened?" Dr. Doofenshmirtz asked. However, as soon as he saw Perry's expression, he then realized that was the wrong question to ask.

The platypus' expression was dark. Curious, Dr. Doofenshmirtz patted Perry's back and knelt down to him with considerable effort considering his strength state.

"Hey, there's no need to hide it. Come on, tell me." Dr. Doofenshmirtz said calmly. "Or, just simply let me know if I can help."

Perry was still. He didn't say a word. Dr. Doofenshmirtz sighed and stood up. It was well worth a try. Hearing murmurs in the passenger cars, Dr. Doofenshmirtz saw that the people inside of the first car in front of the battle scene began staring at him through the windows. There were a large crowd of people staring at the wrecked storage car behind them, and all of their eyes were at him. Two Bannister droids were holding the crowd away from the door, but to the view of the scientist's, they looked like they weren't very successful. Dr. Doofenshmirtz paled for a moment, and turned to Perry.

"What do we say?"

Perry hadn't the slightest idea. Turning to Dr. Doofenshmirtz, he finally gave into his emotions and sank into the man's feet. Dr. Doofenshmirtz knelt once again and embraced the poor creature.

"Shh, everything's fine. You're all right. We're all right." Dr. Doofenshmirtz cooed, although he still hadn't the slightest idea why the platypus was upset.

"Aww…" A little girl in the passenger car grinned. The evil scientist heard, and began to feel resentful for his action. It was not his place to be seen as a caring man, but he told himself there had to be some exceptions some day.

Exceptions were always more enjoyable than following actual rules, anyway. For what he's worked towards, it was worth it.


	8. Engineer- Chapter 7: Moments

**Chapter 7: Moments**

"How do we exactly explain all of this to the press?" Dr. Doofenshmirtz asked; his back brace proved to be very uncomfortable and straightened his natural hunchbacked form. It was unnerving even for himself to be standing up straight for once.

Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz were recovered from the wreckage of the 2nd car of the Latin America train after Bannister's recorded death. Many people began questioning what went on during the attack in the 2nd car, but Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz refused to give out any information other than their need-to-know basis answers. Otherwise, the report went as followed:

"Professor C. O. Bannister was reported dead in a train incident regarding the wheels of the train running his decapitated body over. Evidence to support this report included the train's right-side wheels containing what is identified to be Bannister's blood. His death was not done on purpose; insufficient evidence suggests that his death was an accident, although we currently don't have any more information regarding his death.

Lyla Lolliberry was also found dead in the wreckage, a very abnormally deep stab wound was discovered deep in her chest, and she died from blood loss and a damaged heart, which we could only assume explains the metal wreckage we also found in the 2nd car. In the wreckage there appeared to be a large abnormally large sword with a slot for a regular human's arm, which we assume was a contraption Lolliberry's murderer had used to kill her. The pieces of metal were identified to be under Bannister's organization, otherwise known as Bannister Evil Enterprises, or as it is known by its acronym: BEE. Lawsuits are currently judging and placing BEE under probation and a thorough search through the enterprise's factory regarding Bannister's true ambitions will commence tomorrow. We will report back to you once we've gathered more information.

That is the end of our report, and TV broadcast reporter Danny Swamp signing off."

Major Monogram shut off the broadcast, and turned to Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

"What did you think, Major Monogram?" Major Monogram's young assistant Carl Karl asked, setting down a cup of coffee and a few paperwork regarding the Latin America event.

"What can I say? At least our best agent had returned alive. Agent P, this may come as a sudden gift at such a wrong time, but I hereby reward you for your bravery and succession of completing the mission. On behalf of the Organization Without a Cool Acronym, I, along with the approval of Colonel Contraction, grant you the title and rank of Lieutenant. Congratulations, Agent P." Major Monogram clapped his hands and made space as Agent P stood and walked around the large office meeting table, while his fellow agents clapped politely for him.

Perry saw his former apprentice Terry at the edge seat. He was at a front row view. The turtle waved at him and gave him a thumbs-up.

 _Good job. You deserved it._

Understanding the message his apprentice conveyed, Perry nodded his head and returned his stride towards his place next to Monogram.

"Let's give it up for Lieutenant Agent P, our 2nd in command official. Please treat him with newfound respect, ladies, non-binaries, and gentlemen… animals, I should say." Major Monogram clapped.

Perry stared ahead, watching his newfound friends, Carl, and even Dr. Doofenshmirtz clap for him. He felt another emotion- confidence. Perry knew that he was granted a rank of honor, and because of the years he served for OWCA and his recent completion of the mission, this was an event in history he should respectfully savor.

After all, he was the engineer in their success.


	9. Engineer- Epilogue

**Epilogue: The Story of the Blue Soldier**

"So, he saved everyone, did he, _Abuela_?" The little girl with black hair sat with Lady Flor en Flor in the church cathedral, recently engaged in her grandmother's storytelling. She was telling the story of a hero dressed in blue saving the village once long ago from a corrupt man known as the _Barandilla_. It was an epic tale regarding the past events of the Village of the Locos, and it was something she had found herself fascinated by.

Every afternoon, she would go to the cathedral and hear from her grandmother a sliver of the story. For 9 days she had been coming to greet her grandmother every time and hear the story continue. Today was the 10th day, and her grandmother had finished off the story, wrapping up the blue soldier's struggle and his quest. The _Barandilla_ was dead, and the village was safe once more.

"Yes he did, child. He was the first child-born soul to be born in this dirt and raise the apple tree from the ground. Our village is once again safe."

"But you said that he came from far away, the America of the North, specifically. He wasn't born here." The child questioned.

"Ah, but he is a fellow child among us. He is one of our children reborn into the blue hero's body. He will always be a part of us. You see child, not everyone in this village comes from Latin America. Loco children come in all colors, shape, and size. Likewise, so do you." The old lady tapped the little girl's nose, and she squeaked.

" _Abuela_ , will he ever return to the village? Will I get to see him some day?" The child asked, clasping her hands together in prayer as the rest of the people in the church began to do the same. Lady Flor en Flor thought for a moment, and her gray eyes sparkled. She was thinking distantly, and the child noticed.

"Soon. In another time, far, far from now. He will return, bringing justice once again to this town." Lady Flor en Flor answered.

Prayer in hand, Lady Flor en Flor closed her eyes, slowly losing herself in the worship of God, hoping for all her heart that the Blue Hero would return.

 **THE END**


End file.
